


Gone & Found

by madamchocolate



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Action and Adventure!, Angst!, F/M, Mystery!, Neighbors!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:41:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 107,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23138626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madamchocolate/pseuds/madamchocolate
Summary: Turning over a new leaf, Ariel buys a flat in the heart of London. Her neighbor Eggsy seems harmless enough, however the closer they become, the more she doubts he's just a tailor.
Relationships: Gary "Eggsy" Unwin/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yup, another Kingsman Fic! But this one is completed! Yay! Please enjoy! Exclamation marks!

It was quite a sight: her standing there in the street, yelling at the mover who held two pieces of what used to be a chair, all the while holding the largest cat he had ever seen.

At least it was something for him to watch as he waited for his coffee to brew. JB seemed just as interested, letting out a snort here and there and even scratching at the floor as they both stared out the window.

He'd woken up early; the recurring nightmare and memory of Valentine killing Harry in cold blood - as he watched from a computer screen - had kept him from sleep. He'd pushed himself yesterday, had the bruises on his body from his last mission to prove, so he'd skipped his usual run. He had time to relax before he had to go in to work.

The mover threw down the pieces of the chair and walked towards the truck, giving a loud whistle as he raised his arms in the air. She yelled out again but the man ignored her. Soon enough him and his men unloaded the big truck of all her furniture – leaving it on the sidewalk. The girl kept yelling, all the while holding that damn cat who didn't seem perturbed at all by the commotion.

He almost laughed as he watched the main mover come back to her, holding out his hand as though expecting a tip. She leant down to drop her cat before righting herself and facing him again. She only shook her head and crossed her arms.

The man said something and yet again she shook her head, her short red hair brushing at her jaw. She had on a long black dress, the hem touching the ground and the sleeves down to her wrists – he wasn't even sure if she was wearing any shoes.

His blood turned cold when he saw the man take a threatening step towards her. But before he could even take a step, he watched as she threw a quick uppercut, followed by a side-kick at his knee, causing him to stumble to the pavement.

She nodded, tugged at the sleeves of her dress, and then picked up her cat.

He couldn't help but grin as he watched the other movers come forward, dragging their colleague back to the truck, tires squealing as they drove away.

As soon as they turned the corner she dropped her arms, the cat jumping lithely away as she sat down on the curb, dropping her head between her knees.

JB let out a soft woof. Eggsy squatted down to give a scratch to his back.

"Well, that was a curious start to the mornin'-"

He stopped when he heard another yell, and looked back out to the street.

She was playing tug of war over a small bedside table with a kid who had apparently thought it was a free for all on her furniture.

She pulled the same move she did on the mover, kicking the kid's knee from the side. The kid scrambled away as she let off a string of obscenities that had Eggsy gaping.

She took the small table up the steps, her cat following at her heels, and opened the door to the flat next to his, disappearing.

He scanned the street, making sure no one else was eyeing the small mountain of furniture on the sidewalk – but it was empty, save for the occasional car that slowed down to look but didn't show interest.

She reappeared with a large carpet which she unrolled on the stairs of the stoop. She walked down, showing her now bare feet, to the pile of furniture on the sidewalk. She shook her head as she grabbed a large dresser, pulling it towards the carpet before laying it down on it's side, stepping behind it and pushing.

He had to admire her ability to think on her feet; left without movers, she found a way to do it herself. She was struggling, pushing the dresser up the stairs against that carpet.

But he wouldn't be the man that Harry had helped create if he didn't help her.

His coffee maker beeped but he ignored it, quickly descending the stairs and putting on his soft Kingmsen slippers that had the logo on the feet.

He put down his mug on the hall table and whistled to JB as he walked to the front door.

"C'mon, boy, time for some good deeds."

* * *

The fucking nerve.

Just her luck, hiring a crap moving company for her first ever adventure in living at her own place. They'd sneered at her, made sexist comments behind her back that she wasn't sure if they wanted her to hear or not, and even broke her chair but gave some crap excuse that it was already cracked. And the head mover had the fucking nerve to ask for a tip.

It felt good punching him, watching the shock on his face as he looked up at her as he lay on the cement, holding his chin. She had kicked him for extra measure; more for herself than anything.

But now she had work to do. It wasn't like she had a friend that she could call for help – she had to do this alone. She was used to it. But it didn't mean that it didn't suck.

She got her dresser up the stairs and through the doorway, pushing her boxes all aside to make room for the furniture. She only needed to get the furniture off the street – then she could think about the new problem of getting the furniture to each room.

It was a nice two story flat – and she was only able to get such a 'posh' one as this from her parents, and the fact that her dad was a Neurosurgeon when he was younger before he met her mom.

She had always wanted to live in the city – but not like this; not completely _alone_. But it was something she'd have to get used to, now that she really was. Alone, that is.

Sydney meowed near her feet, and she looked down and grinned.

Maybe not completely alone...

"You think you can grow some muscle and opposable thumbs? I could use the help."

Sydney only meowed again and rubbed against her leg, leaving even more fur on her dress. She reached down and scratched her back, smiling.

"That's help enough, Syd."

She closed her eyes, counted to four, and took a deep breath before she walked back out, watching her bare toes on the carpet as she walked down the stairs again.

She looked up to decide which piece of furniture to move next and jumped at the sight of someone standing there on the sidewalk, leaning on one of her her many bookshelves.

"Fuckin A!"

He only titled his head, raising an eyebrow.

"Well now, that's a greetin'."

She looked at the mountain of her furniture on the street before looking at him.

"None of this shit is for sale. I've already had to deal with someone else trying to take something, not including my movers who broke one of my chairs and not so subtly tried to deny it... I'd hate to mess up your pretty face."

He only laughed, and her breath caught.

She wasn't lying about his face, although it was anything but 'pretty'. A hard jaw, piercing eyes, and dirty blonde hair that now looked mussed but she knew would look even more amazing when tamed. Not that the messy hair and sweats wasn't a good combination for him...

"I'm your neighbor."

She blinked.

Oh.

"Oh. That's a coincidence, since I'm your neighbor…" she muttered, and he laughed again. Something barked, and she blinked again.

She looked down to see a pug sitting at his feet, his tongue falling out the side of it's mouth.

Sydney, now perched on the railing of her stairs let out a soft growl. The pug looked at Sydney and let out another bark, its tail wagging.

"That's JB, I'm Eggsy."

"Eggsy?" she asked, looking up at him.

He nodded.

"You mean he's Eggsy and you're JB."

"Nah, I got it right the first time," he said with a grin.

"Oh. A nickname, I presume," she continued.

He raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Honestly, I prefer that to my real name."

"Which is?"

He sighed, and squinted his eyes.

"Uh, Gary."

This time she laughed.

"I'm Ariel," she said and the pug barked again,

She knelt down and held out her hand. The pug slowly approached, sniffing her and then stepping forward more so she could pet him. When she scratched under his chin he fell to the floor and exposed his belly.

She laughed and scratched that as well.

"JB's a player, I'll give ya that."

"James Bond?" she asked, standing up.

'Eggsy' shook his head.

"Jack Bristow?"

"Who?"

"Nevermind… oh! Jack Bauer!" she cried out.

He raised an eyebrow again, and she knew she was right.

"Lucky guess."

She only grinned.

"It's good to meet a fan of American TV! It took me a while to find the channels so I could watch shows from home. Not that I don't like your TV shows here, they're great, but sometimes it's nice to hear an American accent if you know what I mean," she babbled, "And not to say that accents here are amazing, which they definitely are in themselves. So much variety in a small country. But then again we have to thank you for our diversity in accents in the USA as well, especially in the South. The first few generations that came over to the U.S. held the original accent, but further generations and their accents slowed down and that created the 'Southern Drawl' as it's called. If you speed up a Southern Accent it actually sounds British, which is pretty neat."

She stopped talking and almost frowned when she noticed he was still listening to her yet didn't have a bored glazed over look.

He smiled at her, and she wasn't sure what to do about that.

"Uhm, anyways…" she said, looking around for something to say. She smiled when Sydney meowed.

"That's Sydney Bristow, Syd for short," she said, nodding to her grey long-haired tabby. Said hair made her look bigger than she really was.

When he didn't say anything, she continued.

"As in Sydney Bristow, from _Alias_?"

Still nothing. She raised an eyebrow.

"Puts the show _24_ to shame," she finished, at least hoping that would bring a reaction.

Sure enough, he put a hand over his heart, wincing and closing his eyes.

"That hurt. Here I was, offerin' to help - to be neighborly - and ya go and say that? In front of JB?"

At his name, the pug barked.

She shook her head and took a step closer to him.

"No! Be neighborly. Please," she said, trying not to sound desperate.

His eyes bore down on her, still smiling.

"I'm not so sure-"

"Okay fine, the fifth season was the best TV, even above Alias. But even then, that show kind of down spiraled after season three anyways."

He shook his head, but still grinned.

"Still feel that insult… what'dya you think JB?" he asked as he looked down at his dog. JB let out a yap that had Syndey growling again.

Eggsy looked back up, smiling.

"I'll take that as a yes. What goes first?"

* * *

Merlin was waiting for him when he walked into the tailor shop.

"You're late."

"Hello to you too, Merlin. Sorry, troubles with a new neighbor."

Merlin's face stayed unchanged, as per usual.

"Glasses on, the rest are all waiting."

He followed Merlin into the newly updated Dining Room, taking a seat at Harry's old chair, Merlin sitting next to him at the head of table, now the superior.

"My apologies, hopefully you weren't waiting too long," Eggsy said as he put on his glasses. Roxy, who sat next to him as a hologram, raised an eyebrow. He grinned and shrugged, looking at the few other men with them.

Arthur wasn't the only one that Valentine had gotten his hands on in the agency, leaving the long table somewhat scarce of Kingsman. There were already three new batches of recruits training at headquarters, all vying for a spot at their table. Once the three were chosen, then a fourth batch of candidates brought forth from the Kingsman themselves would start the drastic interview process. Eggsy was worried about that part – he had no clue how to even start to look for a candidate.

Amelia entered, tapping on her ClipPad to bring up photos and documents on the table in front of them, covered in a piece of glass that projected information. They were crime scene photos of what looked like a man and woman involved in a car wreck.

"Glad you made it, Eggsy, let's begin," Amelia said, her sarcasm obvious.

Roxy let out a chuckle next to him, and Eggsy moved his foot to kick at her ankle but forgot that she wasn't really there next to him.

"Saw that," Roxy muttered as Amelia started, motioning to two passport photos of a man and woman.

"Dr. and Dr. Renzella. At the top of their fields in Neuroscience and Chemical Biology. They were murdered four months ago, under the guise of a fatal car wreck. What wasn't disclosed to the public, or even family, was the bullet wounds; one clean shot to the head each. This is a special case, lady and gents, as it was MI6 themselves who came to us. The doctors were working with the agency to create a chemical compound that heightens adrenaline to the receiver to enhance fighting skills, as well as battling sleeplessness and enhancing brain activity and reflexes – something to help agents in the field. Parts of their finished research were in the car with them, to be delivered to MI6, when they were killed."

"Their work with the agency was purely confidential," Merlin said, "they were recruited by Oxford when their work at Yale drew attention, and took the job, finally moving across the pond to us. This mission has multiple parts. Firstly, we need to know who killed the Doctors, as well as why. The bullets were clean, untraceable, but we are exhausting any and all sources," he said, giving a nod to Amelia, who brought up photos of the said bullets.

"17 HMR," Roxy said, and Eggsy grinned.

"Indeed, Lancelot, very good catch," Merlin said.

Eggsy looked down at the table and tapped the glass to enlarge a photo of the car. It was one of the many updates that Merlin brought when he took over; the table projected information with the glasses so the agents could enlarge or bring up evidence as they pleased with the touch of a finger.

" _Not such a waste of paper,_ " Merlin had said.

Eggsy looked at the photo of the wreck. The windshield was cracked, half detached, but still fully intact.

"No bullet holes in the windshield… this was a close range killing. They probably even rolled the window down," Eggsy muttered.

"That could mean it's someone they knew…" Roxy said, finishing his thoughts.

"Or it was a man dressed as a bum and they were giving spare change," Percival said.

"They were smart, however they did it. CCTV's were disabled in the area five minutes before the assassinations," Amelia said.

"But that is a good note about the kill range. And since we are still in the dark about suspects, however a shot in the dark, it could very well be that it was someone they knew... Lancelot, Galahad, you will take lead on this mission. I'm afraid we might need to cut your Italy trip short, Lancelot."

Roxy nodded, as did Eggsy.

"I can be home in an hour. I completed the mission last night, anyways."

"Which brings us to our next part of the mission," Merlin continued, "the doctors had a daughter. Whereabouts currently unknown; it seemed she went off the grid after her parent's death. Cleaned out accounts, wills, paid all debts, and sold their house."

"She even dropped out of the Physics department at Cambridge University," Amelia said, "But if her parents were murdered for their research, then those that did the deed are looking for the rest of it," she said, tapping on her ClipPad to bring up a mugshot photo of a young woman.

"Daughter of doctors, a criminal?" Gareth said from the far end of the table.

Eggsy frowned at the photo of the young woman, with a large black eye and a cut on her jaw, long blonde hair covering one side of her face.

"This is the most recent photo I could find, she's not on any Social Media," Amelia explained, "This photo was when she was arrested for assault of her boyfriend, his brother later filed a restraining order."

"Looks like he was the one doing the assaulting," Eggsy said tightly, looking away from the photo, the sight of the bruises hitting too close to home.

"We need to find her," Merlin said, "Before the people that killed her parents do. MI6 believes that she has the rest of the research - whether she knows it or not - and that puts a target on her back. So far they know she hasn't left the country, they've been keeping tabs on all flights out."

Eggsy looked at up again at the photo, and he realized who it was, as though a switch was flipped on in his mind. She had different hair now, and the cut on her jaw was now a light scar... but there was no mistaking that scowl, her eyes boring into him even from a photo.

"Holy shit," he whispered.

"Something to add, Galahad?" Merlin asked.

"Yup," he said, leaning back in his chair, shaking his head, "I know exactly where she is."

Merlin blinked as though surprised.

"And how, pray tell, do you know this?"

Eggsy smiled.

"She's my new neighbor."

* * *

"How could we have overlooked this?" Amelia muttered for the umpteenth time, now sitting at the small table in the one of the lounges at headquarters, sipping some tea.

Merlin shook his head.

"She used an alias, payed in cash when she bought the flat... did she introduce herself with her real name?" he asked.

Eggsy nodded.

"Ariel. Didn't give a last name."

"Does she have an accent?"

He nodded again.

"Definitely American. We even talked about American TV," he said, refraining from grinning at her excitement that he had watched _24_. "But she's different: she dyed her hair, cut it. She wears... simpler make-up," he said, remembering the traces of black eyeliner in streaks on her face from the mugshot...

"This is too much to be just mere coincidence!" Amelia said.

Eggsy only shrugged, stretching out in the chair – or at least as much as his suit would let him. Eggsy had tried to talk to the tailor about roomier slacks, but he only scoffed at the idea, telling him to wear sweatpants if he wanted to be so comfortable.

Merlin wasn't pleased when he came into work with a suit jacket and button down shirt tucked into sweatpants. Mr. Bridgemont's face made it worth it, though.

"Some things are just... coincidental, even though the word is lost on me. Thankfully, this works in our favor," Merlin said, looking over at Eggsy expectantly.

He frowned, and stared back.

"Wait… no, no-"

"A neighbor is the perfect way to edge in a relationship-"

"I'm not babysitting her, if that's what ya on about!"

"Oh please," Roxy said as she entered the room suddenly, "A woman who fights back hardly needs a babysitter."

"Rox," Eggsy said, grinning.

"That's Lancelot to you," she said jokingly, moving over to the counter to stand next to Merlin, "And Merlin is right, we need an edge in, and you're perfect for the job."

"It's more like protection, than babysitting. Like we said, she's got a target on her back. Keeping a close watch on her without disrupting her life could bring in those that killed her parents, and then we'll know who we're dealing with."

Eggsy frowned, knowing he had no choice.

"It's not fair to her."

Merlin stopped and gazed at Eggsy for a beat before the corner of his mouth twitched up.

"Spoken just like your predecessor."

Eggsy looked down at the table, not wanting to hear about him. What would _he_ do, given such a predicament?

"She's alone now, was just recently oprhaned, has no idea what her parents have done, who they _really_ were, and now she's in danger? Not to mention she's technically not even home. Why did MI6 come to us? They probably have better resources to help her. It's not like I can invite her to the shop and give her a ride to Headquarters," Eggsy said, trying a last attempt at avoiding the job.

Merlin shook his head.

"She'd be trapped in MI6 if they took her in. Imagine the repercussions. If she happens to be exposed, we can give her a better chance at a simpler life. Relocation, new identity, even protection," Roxy said.

Eggsy nodded, feeling a little at ease, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"Don't need protection," he said, looking up as the grin spread, "She knocked a mover off his feet when he tried to ask for a tip after breaking a chair."

Merlin chuckled.

"Maybe MI6 was right to send her our way, then."


	2. Chapter 2

She sat on the top step of the stairs in her flat, watching Sydney down below as she maneuvered the maze of boxes and furniture as she hatched a plan of how to unpack and start... living.

First, music.

She looked into her book bag and brought out her Bluetooth speaker, hooking it up to her phone.

As Sleigh Bells echoed throughout the flat she moved onto part two: the boxes.

She pushed and pulled and even kicked each box to their assigned rooms, leaving the ones labeled 'misc' in the living room. By then she was too exhausted to move any furniture around so she unpacked the kitchen first.

It took her three tries to find the right flow for where to put her pots and pans and silverware, her coffee maker and mugs. She had a few week old homemade peanut butter cookies for lunch – she still had to stock her fridge for real food – before she moved onto her bedroom: glad that she had the idea for the movers to take in her bedframe and mattress in first. She made her bed, hung up a mirror, and assigned clothes for hanging and for folding.

She lost track of time and soon enough her stomach was growling as she looked at the window to see it was already night. She grabbed her purse, slipped on a pair of moccasins and went out to stock up her fridge and find something to give Eggsy as a thank you.

She knew she was in trouble the second he smiled at her.

A man like that - as her neighbor? It made her think of the first few months after her parents dragged her here, when everybody was so attractive with that accent. It really did take her a while to get used to it, but sometimes she felt like that little girl again, blushing at the way they said 'Cinema' instead of 'Movie Theater'. Even the way he said her name had shivers going down her spine.

Sydney greeted her at the door when she got home, and Ariel opened a can of tuna for her; she deserved it after such a stressful day.

Ariel packed up her remaining peanut butter cookies and grabbed the gift she'd gotten for Eggsy. She wasn't sure if she should leave a note or not but figured he'd know who it was from as she left the gifts on his doormat and jumped the railing to return to her own flat.

She unpacked her Chinese takeout on her coffee table, the only placed piece of furniture other than her purple sofa in her living-room, playing MØ from her speaker as she looked around the room, trying to plan it out. The first room of a person's place was the most important; she had yet to plan out the hall, but the living-room was as just, if not even more, important for a first impression. If she even had any guests to give such an impression...

She'd finished the box of chow-mein and figured out where to put the TV, moving her box of DVD's to hold the place. She put her hall table right by her door, and searched three boxes until she found the bowl she saved from home, resting it in the middle before she found her keys and put them inside; the exact use it held at her old house. But instead of holding three pairs of keys, it would hold only one now.

She was halfway through her wontons when Sydney jumped down from the sofa and trotted to the front door, meowing and pawing at it.

Usually Syndey went to the back door to go out, but it was a new place after all. Her big size wasn't Sydney's only abnormality – she never used a litter-pan - she was an 'outside' cat.

Ariel stood up and walked over to her door, turning her multiple locks before swinging the door open and looking down at Sydney. Instead of running out, Sydney tensed up and hissed, her tail growing larger than usual, her fur standing on edge.

Ariel looked up and jumped back yet again at the unprepared sight of Eggsy, smiling at her as he finished walking up the stoop to her door with JB at his feet.

"Sydney's quite the guard-dog."

She blinked again, unsure why he was there. She only nodded.

He smiled, and raised the bottle of Jack Daniels and plate of cookies in his hands.

"Thanks. Quite the combo, I gotta say."

"Oh… well, it's not that much. Beer and pizza would've been too cliché. And it's not like I can return the favor with some heavy lifting myself…" she faded off, not even sure where she was going with that sentence.

She cleared her throat.

"I hope you didn't get in trouble at work," she said, remembering how he hurriedly left after he brought in the last of her furniture, cussing as he yelled out he was late but then telling her he'd see her around. It seems he had really meant it…

Eggsy's smile faltered for a split second, but then he shook his head.

"I've still got a job, if that's what you're askin'," he said. He raised the bottle again. "Wanna break it open? I'm not sure if it will go well with these awesome cookies – is it Nestle?"

"From scratch," she muttered.

"You made these?" he asked, delight covering his face, "That's even better."

She shrugged.

"The kitchen was a way for me to escape the studies my parents gave me. Even though the first time my mom and I baked, she explained each chemical reaction the ingredients had with each-other... I knew the Periodic Table of Elements before I even went into primary school. Well, that, and also…" she stopped, realizing she was rambling to him.

"Well, anyways…" she faded off and looked down, not knowing how to really continue. It usually happened when she rambled – which was most of the time. She usually stopped talking before she stopped making sense, and someone else would keep the conversation going; no harm no foul.

"And also what?" Eggsy asked.

She looked up and frowned.

"Sorry?"

"You, uh, faded off there… you were sayin' you also escaped the studies with what?"

She blinked.

"Oh, I was gonna say that I also watched a lot of action movies, TV shows, the like. Watching other people kick ass kind of gave me the feeling that I could do the same, you know?"

He stared at her, but then to her surprise, nodded.

"Like you can also save the world," he said softly.

She stared for a second before nodding.

"Uh… yeah."

He stared at her more, and she looked down, hating her brain as she felt heat flush her cheeks and face.

JB let out a yap, and Sydney growled and hissed.

Suddenly, Sydney was running, JB in pursuit.

"JB!" Eggsy yelled the same time she cried out "Syd!"

The chase began.

Sydney ran through the livingroom, weaving and jumping around the boxes and furniture, JB scrambling around on the hardwood floor, slamming into walls and boxes, chasing Sydney as she ran upstairs. Eggsy was right on JB's tail, missing him by inches each time he tried to grab the pug. Ariel only followed, knowing there was no hope until Syndey found the higher ground.

The cat did eventually find it, at the top of her Victorian Style bed frame, perched up high on one of the baubles.

Ariel laughed as they all stopped, and shook her head.

"Sydney's a bit of a player herself," she said, staring up at her cat who looked down on them with a speculative gaze.

Eggsy laughed, shaking his head as he let JB down on the floor, the pug jumping up onto her bed. Ariel looked over at him and her eyes widened as she realized what he was wearing.

"Holy shit, you're in a suit!"

He raised his eyebrows but grinned as he looked down at himself in a dark blue pinstripe vest and slacks, his white shirt rolled up at the sleeves, his tie loose, and then looked back up at her.

"It seems that I am… yes."

"Oh, god, sorry!" she said, bringing her hands to cover her face, "It's just… I dunno, you don't seem like the suit type," she mumbled. He wasn't wearing one that morning, just sweats and a black shirt with a weird logo on the chest and sleeve.

At his silence, Ariel dropped her hands and continued.

"I hope it didn't get mussed from the chase… I'm gonna be honest and say that there's no way I'll be able to pay for that type of cleaning cost. It looks like wool cashmere, probably the hardest fabric to take care of. Suits like that wrinkle so easily, and even a drop of ketchup or ink, then its goodbye!"

Eggsy only shook his head, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"This suit has seen worse days, don't worry about it."

She wanted to ask what kind of worse days could happen to someone who wore a suit, but refrained.

"Well, it seems our two spies have gotten off to a rough start," she said.

The look on Eggsy's face was almost indescribable. Confusion, guilt, surprise, even a deer in headlights look, his eyes wide.

"What?!" he choked out.

She frowned at the reaction… it was only a lame joke.

"Uh, JB and Sydney Bristow? Both spies, saving the world? Sydney Bristow was CIA but Jack Bauer was what, an Army vet who went his own way as a spy? He worked for the FBI though, right?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh," he replied, his face calming as he smiled, "yeah, he was more of a self-employer type."

"Seems like it, the way he went after Sydney," Ariel joked, walking over to where she was perched. Sydney meowed and jumped onto Ariel's shoulder, finding balance quickly enough, just as she did when she was a kitten.

Eggsy shook his head.

"Had him since he was a lil' pup. Actually easy to train, if you can believe it."

"Pet owners tend to forget that they are animals, and therefore their own beings… you can only train so much until you have to let them do their own thing. And even so, animal instinct can trump even years of training," she said. As though she was listening, Sydney rubbed her face against Ariel's cheek, and then jumped onto the bed, staring down JB.

The pug walked forward, his head low, sniffing the air. Sydney only blinked and raised a paw to swat at his head. JB let out a snort and jumped back, his tail wagging.

Ariel smiled at the two of them, glad they came to an agreement after JB just chased after her from-

"The door!" Ariel cried out. How could she have been so stupid... She ran, flying down the stairs and to her front door, turning the knob, which was locked. She let out a relieved breath, resting her head against her door, closing her eyes, breathing in and out, resting her head on the cold wood.

"Everythin' okay? I closed it behind me…" Eggsy said behind her. She jumped, and turned to see him frowning at her in concern. She hadn't even heard him come down the stairs after her.

"I… I just don't like the door wide open… you know. Bugs and stuff.

"Bugs… and stuff..." he said, disbelieving. She shook her head.

"Yeah… bugs and stuff. Certain breeds of bugs, even flies, can detect change in temperature, always looking for a cooler place, always going to where the light is," she said and walked to the couch, sinking down onto the cushions. She closed her eyes tight, breathing in and out.

He was gone. He wouldn't find her, he was dull, didn't do a thing in his life… She remembered his threat when she left the courthouse, her parents shuffling her away as his brother dragged him away...

'He can't find me, he won't find me,' she repeated in her head.

"This is a rather safe neighborhood," Eggsy started as she reached for her food.

She froze.

She had to know something. That look of fear on her face when she thought her door was open…

And the way she tensed just now, her shoulders tightening…

"Anyways-" he started slowly, but she spoke.

"I only drink on the weekends, and whiskey's not my thing either," she said, "but you seemed like the type."

Eggsy took a few steps forward yet still kept a respectable distance. The photo of her bruised and cut face flashed before his eyes, and he dropped his head.

"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to barge in; just wanted to say thanks. Sorry if uh, any flies got in. I'm pretty good at gettin' 'em if you need help."

She took a deep breath and turned on the sofa to face him, her smile faint.

"It was the least I could do for helping me out this morning. It was a very kind thing, karma will be on your side. And Sydney is quite the hunter anyways, so I'm all set if any buzzing intruders find their way in."

She was pulling back.

"Maybe another time," she said tightly.

Shit. That was speak for 'never going to happen'. It seemed he was going have his work cut out for him.

He stared at her; still in her black dress, her face in a fake smile, but he could see the residual fear in her eyes.

Did she know about her parents, knew that whoever killed them would be after her? Or was it from the boyfriend? Maybe just normal fear of security in a city such as London? Whatever it was, it had her shutting down.

He only nodded and smiled as he walked forward to the hall table to pick up the bottle of Jack and the cookies.

"Until the weekend, then," he said defiantly, tucking the bottle under his arm before he opened the door.

He looked back to say goodbye, but instead only smiled at her surprised face before closing the door behind him. He went down and around and stopped at his door, JB's panting filling the silence of the night.

He waited until he heard the clicks of her locks before going in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Two clicks of empty guns rang out in the room.

Eggsy let out a breath and looked at the damage.

"Dammit, we tied again?!"

Amelia laughed and pressed the buttons to bring their practice targets forward.

"Looks like it," she said, shaking her head.

Eggsy unloaded the magazine from his gun, grabbing a new one to reload and turning on the safety before holstering it.

"Can we get anything on the boyfriend?" he asked.

Amelia raised an eyebrow.

"It's already getting personal for you?"

Eggsy looked away as he shook his head, turning to unclip his target.

"Course not. She showed somethin' the other night. It could be cause of him, or she knows about her parents and what's comin'."

Amelia stayed silent until he looked up, and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll look into it," she said, holstering her weapon and unclipping her own target. They folded them up and tossed them into the bin, walking out of the shooting range at Headquarters.

Roxy was waiting for them outside the door.

"I might've found a lead, come on," she said, linking her arm in his as they walked down the concrete hall.

"That was quick," he muttered.

Roxy only smiled.

"Always look to the competition for suspects in a case of murder. And you moved quickly yourself. Even made it to the asset's bedroom, I heard."

Eggsy faltered in his step.

Amelia laughed.

"You had your glasses in your shirt pocket."

He sighed. Sometimes he loathed those glasses.

Roxy punched his arm.

"You need to keep JB in line, you've slacked off discipline."

"Oh please, Athena jumps at me every time I see her," Eggsy retorted, and then frowned. "Wait, so you guys saw how she freaked out about the door, then?"

Roxy and Amelia nodded.

"Didn't handle that very well, but it did raise Merlin's suspicions. She really could know something," Amelia said.

"Or she's scared of her ex," Roxy added.

"But he put a restraining order on _her_ , not the other way around," Amelia replied.

Eggsy frowned.

"She wasn't just runnin' from the loss the loss of her parents. She's runnin' from him as well."

They made it to Dining room and sat down with Merlin, at the head of the table.

"All yours, Lancelot."

Roxy nodded and tapped on the table, dragging up photos to the main screen on the wall in front of them. They were of a stout man with round glasses and a prominent moustache; even looked shaped at the ends, with a small curl.

"This is a long story short, I've reported to Merlin already, but this is to fill you in, as we're all on the same mission. This is, Dr. Pheno. Head of the Chemistry Department at Oxford. Colleague of Dr. Renzella, the mother, for quite a few years – even helped the initial tests of 'the concoction', before the husband stepped in and added his Neurological expertise. First few Scholarly Journals they submitted of their works had Pheno and Renxella as authors, but a few years after, it was Dr. and Dr. Renzella as the only authors.

"As soon as he was kicked off of his own research team, Dr. Pheno started dealing in the Black Market to bring in money, selling rare chemicals and concoctions to whoever had a better price. Such things are only accessible to Professors at a University, or a high security lab."

Roxy nodded to Amelia, who stood up, and continued.

"He worked the books himself, it was only lucky our tech caught the discrepancies – but he was definitely selling anything he could get his hands on."

"D'ya think the ones that killed 'em were hired by this Dr. Pheno?" Eggsy asked.

"It's a possibility. It's cliché, going the revenge route, but putting over three years into research to only be cut out of the project itself… there's resentment that grows," Roxy said.

Merlin nodded.

"Lancelot has registered to Oxford for a few classes, but she'll be attending his only. Then she'll get into a position at his labs, and keep track of any discrepancies."

Roxy gave a nod, confirming it all.

Then Merlin looked at each of them, a slight frown on his face.

"This will do for now, but we can't consider him our only suspect. We need to stretch our imaginations, bring any inklings you might have who is involved with this – we cannot allow ourselves to be in the dark for too long."

Merlin turned to Eggsy.

"I saw we had a quite a scuffle last night."

Eggsy looked down, tapping his fingers against the table, which he saw had it going haywire through his glasses, so he drew his hand back.

"JB's not used to cats…"

"Ariel's fear of her door being left open shows us something. We need to press further, as do you. Find a way in," he said in finality, standing up. "This will not be an easy mission, nor will it be quick. We can only hope the bastards come knocking on our front door, but it would be better if we started the fight. That is all."

Merlin quickly left, and Eggsy let out a breath.

"Is it just me or is he even _more_ of a hard-ass than before?"

Roxy shook her head.

"What do you expect? He's the new superior. Valentine did more damage than we thought… we all know that," she said.

He winced and gave a curt nod, standing up, but then shaking his head.

"How am I supposed to approach her? She showed a weakness, and she hated that she did – I could tell."

"We all could, Galahad. But she still tried to smile at you as though nothing happened, despite her quick let-down… small steps," Amelia said before she left, leaving Roxy alone with him.

"You should know more than any of us here how a victim of… well, how they react. Solidify safety. Show her you're there. A good neighbor, someone that you know and can count on, is an entity," she said, standing and walking to the door.

"What if I can't do it?" he blurted out. Roxy stopped at the door, and turned, smiling.

"You showed me how good of a friend you can be in only a few days. If she doesn't let you in, then for a fact I know you will let her in. I'm not sure which one would be for the better though, for all of us."

* * *

She had her TV set up that day and was lounging and enjoying an episode of _Arrow_ when she heard Sydney meow loudly, followed with the sounds of her scratching at the front door.

Ariel frowned.

By now Sydney knew to go to the back door to go outside… not the front. Ariel stood and walked to the door, checking the peephole, seeing a flash of movement from the corner. She frowned and moved to the widow next to her door, pulling her curtains back a slight inch to peek through.

It was Eggsy, in a suit, walking up his stairs with a concerned look on his face. He stopped, and then turned to look directly at her door.

She gasped and dropped to the floor immediately, holding her breath, hoping he didn't notice her. Sydney continued to scratch and meow at the front door, and Ariel held her breath.

She heard the faint opening and closing of a door and let out her breath, sitting up from the floor. Sydney meowed once last time, pawing at the door a few more times before turning around and slinking away in defeat.

Ariel took a deep breath before standing up and moving to the kitchen. Before she knew it she was making coffee cake, muttering the ingredients and their measurements as she mixed them together and poured it into a pan. She put it in the oven, and stepped back, leaning on the counter, catching her breath.

She shut him out, blew him off… he should have no reason to talk to her, to even think of her.

So why did he look over at her door?

And did he see her watching?

Her breath caught at the thought, embarrassment flooding her. She shook her head roughly, and moved to her timer to set it for the cake.

She stood in the kitchen, listening to the 'click-click' of the timer when the shrill ring of her phone disturbed the silence, making her jump. She sighed, and moved to her machine, checking the Caller ID. It was a number she didn't know, so she let it ring, waiting for the voicemail.

The ringing stopped, and there were two beeps.

_"Uhm, Ariel, hey. It's me. God, I hate that I have to be the one to make this call, but your parent's things are all packed up here at the University. They've given you two weeks to come pick it all up, it is quite a load. But… just call me, okay, Ariel? I need to know you're okay. If you need to talk, or just cry… I mean if you want to see their lab, I can make arrangements for you… Ariel, call me, okay? I need to know that you're okay, you just disappeared after their funeral-"_

He was cut off short, and a robotic voice saying that their voice message was recorded and to either press a button to approve or press another to re-record rang out.

There was a beep of a button being pressed, and she was graced with silence.

Ariel took in a shuddering breath as her legs abandoned her and she sunk to the floor, shaking.

* * *

Sydney's meows, along with her occasional swats at Ariel's face woke her up. She moaned, pushing her cat away. Sydney only meowed again, and lingered by the doorway.

Ariel sighed, throwing off her covers, removing her earplugs and eye-cover and resting them on her bedside table before she stood up.

"What, what is it, damn cat," she muttered grumpily, rubbing at her eyes.

Sydney meowed and led her downstairs and to – surprise – the front door. Ariel stopped, eyes wide, having an inkling to what Sydney was so interested in.

She sighed, and walked to the window next to her front door, tucking the curtain back slightly to peek out.

Eggsy, at her front door, turned his head and met her gaze before smiling.

She gasped and drew back, dropping the curtain.

"Shit!" she said under her breath, looking down at herself.

Sesame Street pajamas, of course. Her pants had a cookie design and her shirt was blue with the Cookie Monster's eyes.

"Fuck," she whispered, shaking her head. He saw her; she didn't have time to go change. It could've been worse; she could have been wearing her Spongebob set.

There was a knock on her door.

"Ariel?" Eggsy's muffled voice pierced through.

She sighed, running a hand through her hair, grateful at least that it wasn't a mess - a pro of her short hair - and she turned her locks before swinging the door open.

No time for hiding now.

Eggsy opened his mouth but stopped when he looked at her, a smile growing on his face as he looked at her pajamas.

"It fits you," he muttered.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a reason you're here at such an ungodly hour of the morning?" she asked.

Eggsy looked up to meet her gaze, raising an eyebrow.

"It's nine."

"Yeah, still too early."

He laughed, shaking his head. She shrugged.

"I'm still only part-time, so I don't start till later in the afternoon. But even full time I'll have off hours."

"Oh? And which establishment has the grace of the Cookie Monster working for them?"

She stopped, blinking.

"You're teasing me."

Eggsy's eyes grew wide as he clutched at his chest.

"Me?! While I never," he said in a mock 'posh' accent, different from his own.

She sighed, shaking her head.

"A receptionist job at a Photography Art Gallery."

He stopped, raising an eyebrow.

"A genius at an Art Gallery?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"It's just… dunno. I see you workin' in a lab somewhere, in one of those white coats, goggles and the like, you know. What are those weird glass cups called?"

She tilted her head, smiling.

"Beakers?"

"Yeah! Beakers…"

"Well, what do you do in these suits of yours?" she asked, eyeing his current one, a grey tweed three-piece.

He actually looked flushed and he cleared his throat as he looked down and fingered a cufflink. She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a… tailor."

She laughed, but then realized he was frowning and stopped.

"Oh, you're serious! Sorry… it's just when I think of a tailor I think of an old scraggly man, or the mafia for some reason. I wonder how that stereotype started…" she faded off, but then smiled. "Sorry, again. I actually thought you were joking… so you made that?" she asked, looking him up and down – more for herself than anything.

"No… I uhm… I work mostly in… fabric! Yeah, I work on orders and such… which is why I'm here, listen," he said, straightening his shoulders and holding out his hand.

She glanced down to see he was holding out a key.

"I'm gonna be away for a day or two. Work trip. I've got somethin' arranged for JB, so he's taken care of, but just check him out in case he starts barkin' or howlin' or the like, don't want the other neighbors getting tiffed."

She tilted an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure how long it will be. I just wanted to make sure we were okay before I left…" he continued, fading off.

She froze.

He meant when she freaked out about the door and basically kicked him out.

She took in a shuddering breath, but smiled and shook her head.

"Why wouldn't we be okay?" she asked.

He stared at her for a beat before he smiled.

"Good, good," he said, fingering his cufflinks again, "I'm still waiting for us to break open the bottle you gave me. Maybe when I come back?"

She froze again, completely taken aback. Did neighbors drink together?

"Uhm," she cleared her throat, but found herself nodding, "Uhm yeah, sounds like a plan."

His smile blinded her.

"A plan it is. See you soon, yeah?"

_Soon?_

"Uh, yeah…"

He nodded and turned, taking a few steps down. But then he stopped, turning back around and jumping back up the steps, standing close to her.

She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat but kept his gaze, looking up at him.

"What did you bake the other night?" he asked softly.

She stuttered.

"Uhm. Coff… coffee cake…"

He grinned, but shook his head.

"It's torture, y'know that? It's like the smell seeps through the walls," he said, taking a small step closer, making her breath catch.

"I almost burned it; it wasn't even that good-"

"Don't. Don't undermine yourself… just…"

He stopped, looking flustered, which calmed her down though she didn't know why, and he took a small step back.

"Just… can you warn me next time?"

She blinked.

"Warn you? What, should I fax you a memo?"

His face twisted before he laughed.

"A fax?!"

"People still use them…" she muttered.

He shook his head.

"I meant more like knocking on the kitchen wall between us, leave a note on my door… hell, just knock and tell me."

She frowned.

"What, knock on your door before I put it in the oven, or should I tell you before I mix the ingredients? Honestly, I should warn you halfway through the baking time, that's when the smell so called 'seeps' through the walls-"

He took a step closer, and she caught her breath again, her sentence falling short. He smiled down at her.

"Whichever means you find most… logical, just lemme know," he said.

She nodded.

"Okay," she whispered.

"See you, Ariel," he said, giving her a wink before he walked down the steps.

"See you," she said softly as she watched him get into a taxi and drive off.

* * *

It was a simple bomb disarming. Australian Rebels who wanted to split the parties into two countries, each with their own party, planted a bomb underneath the orchestra pit at the Sydney Opera House, which would be filled with high ranking members of parliament.

He, Percival, and Roxy took care of the insurgents quickly, and Roxy dismantled the bomb, which even ticked like in the movies. She got it with almost thirty seconds to spare. The opera started on time, and nobody else knew the better of it.

Roxy broke down her findings with Dr. Pheno on the flight home, in a conference call with Merlin.

"It's a dead end," she sighed in defeat, "he is definitely selling his materials illegally; however no terrorist connections or connections with the Renzella's were found."

"I'll keep an eye out for him, anyways. If he was a colleague of theirs, then he had to have known Ariel," Eggsy said.

"Good thinking, Galahad," Merlin's voice filled the cabin, "He might be hiding something else – we'll wait until we hand him over to the proper authorities for his activities. But we can't take that chance if he's linked to the Renzella's deaths."

Eggsy only nodded, looking down as he fingered his cufflinks. He initially accepted the job, liking that he would get to know his spitfire but overall shy neighbor. But under the guise of a lie – that's what he hated.

"Do we have any other possible leads?" Roxy asked.

Merlin shook his head on the screen, sighing.

"Unfortunately not. This is going to be harder than we thought. Anything else that Ariel might've revealed?" Merlin asked.

Eggsy raised an eyebrow.

"It's only been a week or so, give me some time, yeah?"

Merlin blinked, but frowned.

"You know this is all time sensitive, Galahad," he said sternly.

Eggsy winced, but muttered a sorry.

"That's it on our end, have a safe flight home, Kingsman," Merlin finished before disconnecting the conference call.

Percival let out a large sigh and moved to the back of the plane.

"Wake me up when we land," he muttered.

Roxy smiled, but then rolled her eyes when he turned his back, which had Eggsy grinning. Percival was the one that brought Roxy in as a recruit. She never talked about their relationship, but he felt as though it was a rather familial one, the way they talked to each other so casually and played around.

Roxy sat down next to Eggsy, stretching out her legs.

"How is it on Ariel's end?"

He stopped, frowning for a moment.

"I don't like it."

Roxy shook her head.

"It's for the better. It's close to a miracle, the happenstance that she moves in next to you at Harry's flat."

Eggsy nodded, and fingered his cufflinks again.

Harry had amended his will the same day Eggsy passed the loyalty test with the threatening oncoming train - leaving everything to Eggsy, including the flat. When Merlin gave him the job as Harry's predecessor, he got a house with the title of Galahad and lived with his mom and sister for a while before the paperwork arrived in the mail. His mom was reluctant at first, but Eggsy was grown enough, and at Harry's old flat he found comfort he didn't know he would find. He definitely got rid of the stuffed dog, though. And he moderned the place up a bit – Harry was almost too much of a classical man.

"She's not what I expected…" he muttered.

Roxy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Expectations… after only a couple of days?"

He shook his head.

"When she was movin' in, she was yellin' and screamin' at the movers. Knocked one of them on their ass after they threatened her. They left her with all her stuff on the sidewalk, but she kept goin', as though she could do it all herself. That's when I intervened to help… but even after I knew who she was, what I needed to do… she's just… she doesn't act like she's lost her parents… lost everythin'."

Roxy stayed silent.

"Sometimes women are stronger than you think," she said.

He shook his head, sitting up in his seat.

"You know I know that, Rox. It's just she's completely alone… and she doesn't even let it show. I guess… I dunno, could it be the fact she's American that has me all confused?"

She laughed at that.

"Well, they are a peculiar breed," she said. He shook his head, laughing as he lightly punched her shoulder.

"Hey, did you know our accent is the origin of 'Southern Drawl'?" he asked, and she froze, turning towards him and raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head.

"Ariel knows a lot of things. Maybe even too much."

She continued to stare at him, her eyebrow raised.

"And how much time, exactly, have the two of you spent together?"


	4. Chapter 4

She let out a frustrated yell and threw the covers off, tired of twisting and turning as she tried to fall back asleep from a nightmare she didn't even remember; she'd only woken up in a cold sweat, crying an hour before. She turned to the clock on her bedside table and groaned, the large 6:00AM glaring back at her.

She sighed, rubbing her face, lightly slapping her cheeks a few times to jolt herself awake. She wouldn't waste the time lying in bed until she had to get up; the least she could do is go for a run.

She changed into leggings and running shoes, keeping her oversized Hard Rock Café t-shirt, figuring she could sweat in it before throwing it in the wash.

She looked at her hair in the mirror, frowning.

She'd cut and dyed it after waking up hung-over weeks after her parent's death and catching her reflection: her long blonde hair in a tangled wreck, her makeup in a raccoon eye effect, black lines dripping down her cheeks from tears. She'd hated what she saw and went to the store right then, buying natural red dye from a game of eeny-meeny-miny-moe and a new pair of scissors. She'd thrown most of her eyeliners away and did a half-hazard job of her hair in her old bathroom, making a mess, and not getting it fixed at a Salon until she'd sold her parent's house, barraging the hair-dresser with questions on how to do the up-keep herself.

She blinked at her reflection and found a headband to push her bangs back and off of her face – and that was the most she could do with her bob.

Sydney stayed fast asleep the whole time but Ariel still kissed the top of her head and she let out a purr but didn't open her eyes.

She tucked a spare house key into her bra after locking the door behind her, and let out a deep breath as she turned and eyed the street. It was quiet, and the morning fog was giving an overcast feeling.

She shivered at the cold, but jumped down her steps and started a light jog, knowing she would soon warm up. It would be weird without listening to music, but she lost her arm-band that held her iPod in the move so she'd have to do without until she bought another one.

She really was rusty, she thought after the second block. Her breathing was shorter than usual, and her ankles felt heavy and her knees a little sore. She focused on the thump-thump her sneakers made on the concrete, forming a tempo to follow in her mind. She mapped out she would do a rough circle – the streets of London weren't so easy and blocked out. She was somewhat used to the area now and she figured she had a couple blocks each before she had to make a turn, she'd just have to watch the street names.

After her first turn she heard a resounding thump-thump on the concrete. Seems she wasn't the only one out running.

She continued jogging, but the other pair of feet changed in tempo – as though slowing down.

' _As though to follow me,_ ' was her first thought.

She made a random left turn – the footsteps followed.

She waited a block or two before making another left turn – she knew she was getting herself lost, but the fact that the footsteps still followed had that being the last thing on her mind.

She made another turn, quickening her pace slightly. The following footsteps did the same. She did her best to control her breathing as she flat out sprinted for two blocks before making a sharp right turn, finding a small alcove to hide in, stopping and listening for the footsteps.

Sure enough they came around the corner, their sneakers squeaking on the concrete. 

She only had a split second to either stay hidden or face whoever it was. She took in a deep breath as she heard their approach, and she stepped out and threw her out in a wide block – but instead of them running into her arm as she expected, she was grabbed while her feet were kicked out from under her and she fell.

She yelled out as her head hit the sidewalk, her hands coming up quickly to hold the back of her head.

"Ariel? Ariel..." the follower asked and she froze, turning to look above her.

They pulled off their hood.

" _Eggsy?!_ " she cried out.

He bent over, holding out a hand to help her up.

"What are ya up to, tryin' to block me off like that?"

She frowned up at him. She grabbed his hand, acting as though she would accept his help to get up, but instead she reached over with her other hand and pulled at his arm. He pitched over her and landed on his back.

He yelled out, bringing a hand up to his head as he winced.

"Bloody hell, woman!" he said as she stumbled to stand up. She stayed arms length away from him, putting her hands on her hips.

"I thought someone was following me!" she said as he slowly got up on his feet, brushing off his arm and circling his shoulder.

"I uhm, I kinda was…" he said.

"Excuse me?"

"I saw it was you runnin', but then you took a weird turn and I wasn't sure if you were lost or somethin'," he said quickly.

She raised an eyebrow, ignoring the small catch in her breath; it was from running, of course.

"What the heck was that move? Are you a ninja or something? And I only got lost because _I thought someone was following me!_ "

He sighed, and shook his head.

"I would've said somethin', but you seem like the runnin' alone type."

She blinked up at him, not sure to be surprised or scared that he could read her so well.

"I am…" she said slowly.

They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before they both looked away, laughing weakly.

"Well, you got me lost. Show me the way home," she said, holding out her arm for him to lead the way.

He grinned and nodded.

"Let's walk, yeah? You knocked my brain around," he muttered, scratching the back of his before he started walking and she followed.

"Should've just shouted out instead of acting shady."

"Us ninjas, we like the shade," he said, making her laugh.

* * *

For her lunch break she wandered around wasting time, unsure what to eat until she saw a Deli. Seemed simple enough.

She placed her order and was lucky to find a corner booth in the back. She was enjoying her Panini, quite proud of her makeshift hands-free stand to keep her book open – a fork and knife – and started one of her favorite books for comfort.

It was a short novel so she was already halfway through it before someone interrupted.

"What'cha readin?"

She stopped and looked up, knowing that voice.

Sure enough it was Eggsy, smiling down at her, a plate in hand.

"Nothing, just an old favorite," she muttered, putting down her sandwich.

"Scoot over," he said, resting his plate on the table, moving her bag to the other side, shrugging out of his black pinstripe suit jacket and folding it carefully before resting it on her bag. He then slid into the booth next to her, their knees knocking.

He grabbed for her book, and she reached forward to stop him but failed. He picked up the fork with the knife inserted in one of the slots – her book stand – and muttered "impressive," as he found the bookmark and noted where she was stopped before closing the book to glance at the cover.

He grinned and raised his eyebrows.

"Ella Enchanted?"

She frowned and grabbed the book from him, tucking it under her leg, out of sight.

"It's a fantastic fantasy," she said, "dealing with adolescence and free will, that actions have consequences, and a lot more."

His mouth was tight as though he was holding in a smile.

"They made a movie, though…" he started.

She shook her head.

"That was an abomination. Nothing like the book – except for the characters, which even then ignored their development. I hate that movie. Good thing I didn't see it in theaters or I would have been yelling at the screen or just walked out and have wasted ten bucks."

"It looks worn – you read it a lot, then?"

She nodded.

"I'm on my break – it's an easy read, and I'm okay with stopping when I need to… not like with a new book when I can't help myself and before I know it I've finished three or four chapters and ignore the time."

He nodded, smiling. She shifted in the booth, their knees knocking again. She reached for her sandwich, taking a big bite.

"How's it goin' at the gallery?"

She smiled as she chewed.

It was a good day at work so far. She'd sold her second piece before her lunch break, and Ms. Cantrell called her into the back office before she'd left. She had said her training was done. She was considered a full time employee now, working a constructed schedule with the other receptionist/assistant, Maya, who she would only see during Gallery Openings and Events.

It felt good. She only got 5% commission on pieces she sold, but it was more than enough, considering the prices in the Gallery and even her salary. She wasn't a salesperson per-se, more an administrator – working the paperwork, schedules, appointments with buyers, and overseeing any Gallery Events. However sometimes Ms. Cantrell needed someone to keep the buyers company while she finished up a call or a stack of paperwork. But she loved talking to customers: talking about the pieces – being objective and artistic instead of subjective and scientific as she had been most of her life.

"Really good, actually," she said, "I'm done with training; I'm on full time now."

"No shit? That's amazin', congrats Ariel," he said, reaching forward to squeeze her arm before pulling back and taking a big bite out of his sandwich.

They sat and chewed in silence, Eggsy glancing at her and smiling, their knees knocking together more.

"You baked last night. Didn't get a memo."

"Oh," she said, frowning. He raised an eyebrow at her and took another bite.

"I'm always serious when it comes to bakin'," he said, his eyebrow twitching.

She stared back at him, the corner of her mouth curling up. She was impressed how long he was keeping such a serious face, but the tick in his eyebrow gave it away.

"So my fax didn't get through to you?" she asked.

His jaw twitched this time, but he kept a neutral face still. She let out a hum as she took a quick bite of her sandwich.

"What do you suggest then?"

He stared at her for a beat.

"Just call me," he said, "I could give you my number."

She opened her mouth and then closed it, blinking.

Her cell phone beeped and she jumped, grabbing it out of her purse, feeling the soft wool of his suit laying on top of it on her wrist. She looked down at the screen and saw it was the alarm she set for her lunch break – it was time to head back.

"That's my break," she said, picking up her purse and his jacket as she slid out of the booth, standing up and resting his jacket on the seat.

"Woah," she heard him say.

"What?" she asked, turning to face him. He had stood up as well and was smiling at her, looking her up and down but not in a leering way. She blushed and looked down at her outfit for the day: a brown pencil skirt and her favorite white silk blouse with a black cat pattern.

"It's just… haven't seen you in your work clothes yet," he said.

She tilted her head as she looked back at him, feeling almost triumphant that his cheeks flushed when she met his gaze.

"Could say the same thing the first time I saw you in one of those," she said, motioning at his suit: deep blue slacks and matching vest, with a white shirt - his jacket on the seat. Her eyes widened when she realized what she had said and she stuttered but Eggsy only laughed, shaking his head.

"Honestly, I kinda thought the same thing when I first put one on."

She stared at him, wondering what had him putting on a suit on the first place.

"I've gotta go, see you around."

"See you," he echoed as she turned and left, her heartbeat erratic as though it was about to burst out.

She had just opened the door when she heard him call her name. Hand still on the door handle she turned to see Eggsy there, holding her book.

"You forgot this."

She smiled softly and nodded, taking the book from him and stuffing it in her purse.

"Thanks."

"Maybe you can tell me about it sometime," he said, grinning.

She blinked.

"Uhm, okay?"

His grin turned into a smile as he nodded.

"In or out, dearie?"

They both turned to see an older woman standing in the doorway, smiling at the both of them.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Out..." she said, and turned to Eggsy. "See you," she said again and left before she heard his returning goodbye.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun was low in the sky, almost setting as she walked home from work. Ariel regretted the choice of pairing heels with her slacks and suit jacket instead of flats. She took them off the last block, the pain too much; looking down as she walked to make sure she avoided any glass or trash.

She came around the corner to her street, looking up as she jingled her keys in one hand and her heels in the other, blinking in surprise when she saw a woman and a young girl sitting on Eggsy's stoop. She slowed as she approached, taking a few steps up towards her door, her approach silent with her bare feet. The young girl who was looking around spotted her, her eyes growing wide at the sight of her.

"Hi!" the young girl said, smiling.

"Um, hello! I'm Eggsy's neighbor..."

They both stood, the woman smiling awkwardly as Ariel felt.

"Hey! I'm Michelle, this is Daisy," the woman said, resting a hand on the young girl's shoulder, "We're waitin' for him, have you seen him around?"

"Actually no, he told me he would be away for a few days, something about a work trip," she said cautiously.

Fear passed Michelle's face before she faked a smile and shook her head.

"Oh, bugger, that's just like him. Disappearin' for days, even weeks at a time! He might've forgotten of our brunch…"

"I'm sure that's not the case," she said comfortingly, though she had no clue. Eggsy never said when he would be coming back when he knocked on her door a few days earlier to let her know. Thankfully she was already in her work clothes, which again he kind of sputtered at which had made her breathless.

Michelle stared at her, looking almost amazed.

"You're American!"

Ariel smiled, used to the proclamation by now, and nodded. She's received different reactions from her accent, from indifference to soft insults by stereotype that she couldn't really disagree with, as well as excitement such as now.

"Yup. Born and bred, ma'am," she said, mocking a Western Accent. Michelle laughed as Ariel continued. "Anyways, JB is still in the flat, so he'll probably be back sooner than you know it."

Michelle shook her head, but still smiled.

"Him and that dog… almost inseparable. Brought him home out of the blue, he did. Paid to take care of him, taught him how to be right with Daisy – she was just a little youngin' then."

Daisy smiled, nodding.

"I'm four. A big girl."

"Indeed you are! My my, four years old… you're a troublemaker, I bet," Ariel said, making Daisy blush but shrug her shoulders.

"We've got a dog now, Spade – he's the one that's a... troublemaker?" the young girl replied, having trouble with the word yet her accent made it even cuter.

There was a beat of silence that stretched on for Ariel, and she made a split decision.

"Well, I can't very well let you two sit out here, come on in. I'll make some tea, or pour some juice if you prefer," Ariel said, walking up the stairs to unlock and open her door. Sydney rushed out, meowing as she jumped up on the railing and looked at Michelle and Daisy. She meowed again as she jumped down to rub on Daisy's legs.

"This is Sydney," Ariel said and as though she knew she was being talked about Sydney let out a meow, making Daisy giggle as she bent over to pet her.

Michelle looked unsurely at Ariel, who only smiled and moved her head to the side to invite them in.

"I've got some toys you can use to play with her, Daisy. She loves the laser pointer."

Daisy smiled and ran down Eggsy's stairs and came up Ariel's stoop, Michelle on her heels.

"Really, we shouldn't impose-" she began but Ariel shook her head.

"It's the least I could do, honestly. Eggsy helped me on my moving day; long story short my movers bailed on me – he helped me move everything in. I could never really find a way to repay him, until now I guess."

Michelle beamed as they all walked through the door, and Ariel closed it, turning only one lock and dropping her heels and purse on the hall table, putting her keys in the bowl.

"He likes to think he's the tough one, but he's a true one at heart. Always out to save the world," Michelle said.

Ariel stopped. Just like when they talked about her obsession with spy shows and movies…

"He's a good one, Michelle. You've raised him well. But even so, I can't just let you two wait out here while I'm in there. It'll make me feel weird – this is more for me really," she found herself babbling. She cleared her throat. "Take off your coats, please. You can sit but I'd warn you the couch is comfier than it looks," she said grinning, just glad that she'd finished a majority of her unpacking; she still had a few miscellaneous boxes in the far corner, multiple Post-It notes reading "UNPACK ME" all over the cardboard, but her place still looked presentable, mostly lived in.

She walked over to the coffee table and brought a laser pointer from one of the drawers. She pointed it at the wall and Sydney went for the attack, throwing herself at the red dot, her paws scratching softly on the wall.

Daisy giggled. Ariel walked forward and dropped down on her knees, coming to the same height as the young girl as she smiled and held out the pointer.

"You can go even higher, test her jumping skills. I can bring out some treats for you to give her – she'll be putty in your hands if you give her a treat."

Daisy only nodded, smiling and muttering a "Thank You" as she grabbed the lazer pointer and ran to the other side of the room where there was emptier wall for her to point the laser at. Sydney was already there, meowing and circling the young girl, meowing.

"You said somethin' about tea?" Michelle broke her concentration. Ariel turned to her, nodding.

"Sorry, yes. Why don't you sit, I'll be right back," she said.

"No, lemme help, Daisy's good."

She led the way to the kitchen and flipped the switch on her electric kettle before turning and leaning against the counter. Michelle took a seat at the island on one of the stools, bringing her hands in front of her, wringing her thumbs. There was a moment of silence before she spoke.

"So, uhm, how long have you been here?" Michelle asked.

Ariel brought out the teabags and teapot, smiling.

"Two and a half weeks to this day, actually… as you can see by the remaining boxes in the living room."

Michelle blinked in surprise.

"Oh… so you're not Roxy?"

Ariel shook her head, her curiosity piqued.

"Nope, not the girlfriend; just the neighbor. I'm Ariel."

"Oh… well he insists she's not a girlfriend, but the way he goes on about her…"

Ariel shrugged.

"I wish I knew more, but I've only seen him a couple times."

Michelle looked guilty.

"I don't mean to snoop, sorry."

Ariel smiled, and then jumped when the electric kettle beeped as the water finished boiling. She quickly poured it into the teapot and put on the lid before she came to the island and leaned against it, looking at Michelle.

"The con of having a son. Boys aren't really those to talk about themselves, and I mean no offense, but especially to a parent."

Michelle shrugged.

"Anyways, I can't imagine your parents are thrilled with you living alone and far away from home!" Michelle said. Ariel winced, setting her mouth straight.

"Well UK has been my home for a couple of years now… we all moved over because they got jobs at Oxford, but… but they're... they're no longer with me," she said softly, knowing there was no other way around it.

Michelle closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"I'm so sorry, me and my mouth. My condolences," she said as she opened them, looking at her not with pity – but almost an understanding.

Ariel nodded.

"I just couldn't go back to the US. I didn't even know where to go really; I have some distant relatives that haven't seen me since I was a baby but it seemed so… off to just leave here. This place is more my home then back 'across the pond'. And even then, I was still in school…" Ariel faded off. She wasn't sure the best way to make a first impression was to tell her she was a dropout because she went on an alcoholic rampage after her parent's deaths and had to withdraw because of her grades.

"Oh, where'd you attend?" Michelle asked. Ariel refrained from wincing.

"Uhm, Cambridge."

Michelle's eyebrows rose.

"Woah. Your parent's must've been so-"

"I dropped out," she found herself saying. She didn't want to hear anything about her parents. She didn't want to even really talk about them. She'd rather talk about her own failures than bring them up...

Michelle tilted her head, looking at her caringly, which made Ariel's heart turn; she missed that look from her own mom.

Ariel shook her head and even though the tea wasn't ready she opened a cupboard and brought out mugs and the sugar bowl, resting them on the counter next to the teapot.

"When I lost my husband," Michelle said slowly, "I didn't handle it very well."

Ariel turned slowly to look at Michelle, listening intently.

"I was weak, barely getting by, but then I met Dean. He took care of us, brought me Daisy… kept a roof over our heads - but he knocked me around. Frequently."

Ariel frowned and walked around the counter to sit next to Michelle. She knew what the isolation felt like, being the victim; no one could really empathize. So she brought up her sleeve to show the two scars on her arm. One was in a jagged circle, from a cigarette burn, the other a jagged line down her arm, curving around her elbow.

"His name was Mikey," she said as she traced the long scar on her arm as well as the one on her jaw, "these two are from the one night I fought back – landed me in jail… but he got his own too," she said. All three scars were fainter now - the cigarette burn from another time, but the dermatologist told her they would all be permanent.

Michelle's face twisted in anger.

" _You_ were sent to jail? Did you tell 'em what he was?"

She nodded.

"Oh, they all knew it, but having a brother as a cop helps. And it was hard to discredit 'accidental scrapes' as he convinced them, against a broken nose and arm."

Michelle gaped.

"You did that to him?"

Ariel slowly nodded, unsure what to expect. When she told her friends – now just past acquaintances after her parents died – they were shocked, even scared that she had done more damage to him than he to her. But then again, they were the same 'friends' that thought she was just exaggerating when she told them about Mikey's temper.

She looked at Michelle now, waiting for her reaction. The last thing she expected happened: Michelle threw her arms around her and brought her into a tight hug.

"I bet that taught him," she said in a whisper.

Ariel fought the tears breaching her eyes, blinking quickly to disperse them.

"His lawyer filed a restraining order against me," she muttered.

Michelle laughed, juggling Ariel in the movement, before letting her go and pulling back, wiping her face as Ariel did the same.

"Eggsy saved us from Dean. Came in one day in that suit of his. He beat the crap out of all of 'em, Dean especially... took Daisy and me away. I haven't seen any of 'em since. We were free."

Ariel smiled, but shook it away. What the hell was Eggsy, other than an enigma?

"I think the tea is ready," Ariel said, wiping her face a final time.

"Is my mascara running?" Michelle asked, wiping under her eyes. Ariel smiled and shook her head.

"Nope, just as beautiful as before," Ariel said, telling the truth; now she knew where Eggsy got his looks.

Michelle shook her head.

"Oh come on, now you're just tryin' too hard. I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me, spillin' everythin' to you; I just started and couldn't stop…"

"No apologies necessary. It was nice to talk to someone about my own… troubles," she said and slid off the stool to pour the tea into mugs, bringing one forward to Michelle along with the sugar bowl.

She was telling the truth, it had been a while before there was someone she could _really_ talk to.

"Do you take milk?"

"Just sugar, thanks."

"Does Daisy like apple or orange juice?"

"Apple."

Ariel nodded and poured a glass from the bottle in her fridge, leaving it on the counter as she added sugar to her tea and spoke.

"It's a good thing for young children to have pets. Helps improve brain functionality, as well as teach lessons of responsibility. And tolerance as well… having to deal with the emotions of another creature unknown to oneself, learn their ticks and happy spots. Dogs are a bit tricky, but I would say they're the best for younger kids despite the training on both parts. They also share the factor of unconditional love."

Michelle blinked, and Ariel winced.

"Sorry, I ramble at times-"

Daisy walked in frowning, and they both stopped.

"What is it, sweetie?" Michelle asked, getting up from her stool.

"Sydney is scratching at the front door."

Ariel smiled at that.

"Well, that only means one thing… Eggsy's home," she replied.

Michelle smiled as Daisy cried out "Eggsy!" and ran from the kitchen.

Ariel followed Michelle and Daisy through her door, closing and locking it behind her before following them to Eggy's place. Daisy didn't even bother knocking; she opened the door and ran through the flat. Ariel faltered at the doorstep but Michelle turned and grabbed her hand, forcing her to follow.

They made it to the living room in time to watch as Daisy ran and jumped at Eggsy who caught her effortlessly in his arms and spun her around, laughing.

Michelle's hand squeezed hers for a beat before she let go.

"Well look at you!" Eggsy said, kneeling down to face Daisy eye to eye, "You've grown at least a meter since I last saw ya," he continued.

Daisy giggled and shook her head.

"Eggsy, I played with Ariel's cat. She meows a lot."

Ariel laughed and Eggsy's head snapped up and met her eyes, his smile faltering.

She froze, knowing she'd made a mistake. She had no business inviting his family inside her home, getting to know his mom and divulging secrets – but girl talk was girl talk. And she couldn't just let them wait outside…

She took a step back and Eggsy frowned more as he stood up straight.

"Ariel," he said, but she took another step back, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Michelle said.

JB barked and ran forward to Ariel, panting and wagging his tail. He broke her reserve and she knelt down to give his chin a scratch.

"Ariel is just lovely, Eggsy. She saw us waiting outside and made us tea, gave a toy to Daisy so she could play with her cat - what's her name again?"

"Sydney," Eggsy said at the same time as her.

"Sydney," Michelle repeated, grinning.

"Bristow," Eggsy added, and Ariel stared.

"Well, uhm, it seems you guys have a late brunch to get to. I'm still unpacking, so I'll just…" she faded off, walking backwards.

"Oh no, dear, join us!" Michelle said. Ariel smiled at her, maybe too much, but shook her head.

"I really must get unpacked. I won't feel settled if I don't," she lied. She still had to unpack, but she was putting it off really. Being fully unpacked meant she was truly alone and her parents were really gone.

Michelle stared her down but finally nodded, giving a small smile. She stepped forward and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you," Michelle whispered to her, "it was nice to talk to someone who really knows what you've been through."

She blinked, but returned the hug tightly, giving a small nod.

"It was," she whispered in agreement before pulling away.

"Daisy, what do we say?" Michelle asked, turning to her daughter. Daisy smiled and walked forward to Ariel, holding out her hand, which Ariel took. Daisy shook it rather erratically despite the difference in size, which made Ariel grin.

"Thanks for letting me play with Sydney. I want a cat now."

Both Michelle and Eggsy groaned.

"Whoops, unintentional can of worms…" Ariel said, looking away.

"We'll talk about that later, Daisy," Michelle muttered, shaking her head.

"I'll walk you out," Eggsy said, walking forward. He was in a grey suit, no tie, no vest, the jacket open.

Ariel only nodded and waved and said her final goodbyes to Daisy and Michelle before turning to leave. She felt the soft wool of his suit brush her arm as he walked with her to the door and repressed a shiver.

They crossed the threshold and onto the stoop. Ariel stopped, turning.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to impose or anything, I just saw them waiting when I came home and kids can be hard to deal with if they're bored and it was kind of chilly and they seemed like they were waiting for a while and I just-"

"Hey," he stopped her, raising a hand to rest on her shoulder.

She saw the hand coming towards her and instinctively reacted. She leant back, bringing up her hand to grab at his wrist before it touched her.

She looked up at him and he turned his gaze from her hand to her eyes. She blinked a few times and then dropped his wrist, stepping back as she winced.

_Shit, shit, shit…_

"Ariel," he whispered softly. She shook her head and closed her eyes, as though the moment never happened and he disappeared.

"Sorry, leave a message at the beep," she said shakily, mortified.

"Ariel," he repeated. She opened her eyes. He was still where he was, but his hands were in his pockets.

"First of all, good catch," he said.

She blinked but felt the corner of her mouth was twitching. He smiled at that.

"I also wanted to say thank you. Work caught me up… I'm glad that you kept 'em company."

"I was just doing what was right. Being neighborly."

Eggsy titled his head.

"Most people wouldn't have done such a thing. Neighbor or not… invitin' strangers into their home," he said the last part slowly.

She looked down. She hadn't even thought about that… she just saw them, how out of place they looked and felt; like she was. She took a deep breath before looking back up to meet his gaze.

"They didn't stay strangers for long. Like someone else I know."

His jaw twitched and his eyes widened before he nodded, smiling.

"And I'd love to hear about this Roxy that Michelle was talking about. She thinks you're hiding a girlfriend," she continued, grinning teasingly.

It figured he had one. And she was probably gorgeous as well…

His smile fell and he shook his head, letting out a forced laugh.

"Not a girlfriend. Sorry if she bombarded you with questions, I keep tellin' her it's not like that."

"No, it was fine. It was nice to be with a parent; see them being… parental…" she faded off, and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, and opened them to Eggsy staring down at her, a concerned look on his face.

He opened his mouth, but she just smiled and took a step down.

"See you around, neighbor," she said as she jumped the railing between their stoops and unlocked her door.

"See you around, Ariel," Eggsy said.

* * *

Eggsy closed the door after he heard Ariel turn the locks on hers. He closed his eyes and sighed, the fleeting look of fear on her face after she caught his arm in a defensive lock burned in his brain.

He knew it wasn't about him, that it was just instinctual, but it still didn't mean that he didn't want to find a punching bag to destroy or a pay a visit to the shooting range to tamper the ire that had her wanting to do such a thing in the first place.

He thought about their conversation about her watching action and spy movies... Maybe it started out with her wanting to escape her studies and save the world, but it had to have turned into wanting to save herself against Mikey.

But the fact she met his mum and Daisy… this could become a complication. This was mussing things up for him, he was already having enough trouble separating her from the job and the personal.

"Quite a neighbor you've got there," his mom said, breaking this thoughts.

He only nodded as he turned from the door, walking forward to give his mom a tight hug. She didn't know the half of it.

"I lucked out," he said after pulling back, "I would've called but-"

"Oh I know, you can't tell me anythin'. And in case you think I'm too dull I know you've followed your dad's footsteps," she said.

He froze, unsure what to say - he knew he couldn't say anything, really, but she only shook her head.

"At first I hated it, but I accepted it. You already left the Marines for me... and even still, I know he'd be so proud," she said softly.

He nodded, blinking, surprised to find that his eyes were wet. His mom smiled, her own eyes glassy.

"You're here now, that's what matters. Should I cook something up or do you want to go out?" she continued.

"Let's make something here, I feel like I never have any homemade meals anymore."

Michelle nodded, coming forward to link his arm in hers as he led the way to the kitchen.

"I'll cook, and you can tell me more about your darling neighbor," Michelle said, moving towards the fridge as he winced.


	6. Chapter 6

It happened again.

His eyes shot open, the image of Valentine pulling the trigger of the gun aimed right at him fading away as he stared up at the ceiling. He took a shuddering breath and sat up in bed, wiping his forehead of cold sweat.

At least he didn't wake up yelling anymore as he did those first few months… but the nightmares hadn't yet faded away completely.

He climbed out of bed and put on his slippers, finding a tee on the floor and sniffing it before putting it on. He looked over to find JB watching him.

"C'mon, boy," he said, and the pug let out a snort and jumped off the bed. He let JB out the front first to do his business on a small patch of grass with a small tree a couple yards away from his stoop, and then let JB back onto his bed before he moved through his flat and to the back, sitting down on the one chair on the small balcony which looked over the back alley of the group of apartments on the block. It was illuminated at the far end by street lights, leaving a soft glow on the alley, leaving him in shadows.

He looked down at the cobblestone of the street, imagining Harry standing where he was sitting, driving the cab Eggsy had stolen down this very alley from his tablet. Eggsy had never seen or felt anybody so disappointed than the moment Harry looked down at him from his balcony, unlocking the doors so Eggsy could climb out of the cab he'd lifted.

Not when he told his mum that he wasn't going to college and instead joining the Marines, not even when his Commanding Officer frowned and tried to get him to stay when he left to go back home.

That feeling of disappointment and regret filled him again and he blinked it away, taking in a deep breath as he hung his head down, closing his eyes tight. Thankfully Valentine's image didn't cross his mind, but instead the look on Ariel's face when she slyly told him he wasn't a stranger anymore.

He opened his eyes, wishing for a drink in his hand as he shook his head.

He _was_ a stranger to her though. What would she think if she knew who he really was?

Not just a Kingsman, but barely educated, a Marine drop-out… hell, he joined the Kingsman by default – he didn't even officially pass the 'interview'. He didn't read books, didn't know anything like she did – he was smoking and stealing cars and shoplifting Liquor Marts while she was off in school, becoming a genius and baking and coming to mom and dad in a happy home.

JB's snort and half-hearted woof at a passing car in the distance stirred his thoughts.

Michelle had talked to him about Ariel… and even told him what she had told her about her abuse, saying that Ariel understood more than any other person could possibly know...

Ariel knew about Dean… but the question was how much? Was she already learning about the screw-up he really was? He didn't even want to think if it would change the way he looked at her… not for the mission, but for himself. What would she think of _him_?

Suddenly a light flooded the space near him. He looked up and noticed it was Ariel's balcony light and held his breath as her door opened.

She stepped out, shivering in the brisk night air, tugging the sides of her large grey sweater tighter together over her chest. He glanced at her, moving his eyes up and down and saw that she was wearing Spongebob pajama pants, which made him grin.

He was wondering what other pajama sets she had but stopped and stared when she brought a cigarette to her mouth and lit it, tucking the lighter into the pocket of her sweatshirt.

He could only see her profile, but it was enough to see that she seemed as troubled as he was. She took another drag, inhaling it in and tilting her head back as she exhaled, watching the smoke rise in the air

He figured it was time to make his presence known – she was bound to notice him sooner or later.

"You know, some would say those are bad for you," he said, clearing his throat.

It was almost comedic, the way she jumped back, her arms flailing in the air before she brought them to her chest, turning to glance at him and shaking her head.

"Dammit, Eggsy, make some noise at least! Don't have to be a ninja all the time, do you?"

"Ninjas work best at night," he replied smiling.

She blinked.

"Fine, you've got me there."

She took another drag, shaking her head. Head-on, he watched her face calm down from the shock, and she looked almost guilty.

"I'm not as bad as I used to be," she said, taking another drag, "cut down from a pack a week to a pack every two weeks. Slow steps. Super slow, snail paced steps. A sloth would probably have a better time quitting than I do."

He laughed at the odd comparison and shrugged.

"Hey, at least you're on the right path."

She nodded absentmindedly and turned to look down the alley, now partially lit from her balcony light. He did the same, feeling comfortable in their silence – something he'd never really experienced – as he looked down the quiet alley, letting out a deep breath.

He heard her take in another drag, and then turned to look at her when she spoke.

"So… as a fellow insomniac, what has you up this late?"

He sighed, and shook his head.

"The usual…" he muttered, his head dropping, hoping she would take the hint-

"That's avoiding language. Something's keeping you up, and it's not good."

He stayed silent as he looked at her for another moment before looking back out at the alley.

She knew about Dean.

He knew that there was some bigger reason that she was out on her balcony in the middle of the night – probably just the same as she knew he had his own shit to deal with. But the difference was he knew about her – about her parents, about her ex… while she barely knew anything about him.

He stood up and turned to face her, looking at the distance between their balconies, noticing the heights of the railings. He glanced at her, still looking out at the alley as she took another drag of her cigarette, and figured what the hell.

He took a few quick steps forward and grabbed onto his balcony railing, hoisting himself over, making sure to keep his legs straight as he soared over, barely missing her railing as he landed with a soft stumble, gaining his footing quickly enough so he didn't run into her.

He grinned at her gasp as he stood straight and grabbed the cigarette from her hand, taking a drag himself, closing his eyes at the feeling as he inhaled. He was more a social smoker – bumming one from a friend or a stranger at the parties and bars he frequented when he was just that kid – with nowhere to go, nothing to do.

He exhaled, pursing his lips and blowing smoke rings into the stale night air, smiling that he still knew the trick. He took a deep breath as he held out his hand for her to take it back.

"Means the same goin' on with you," he said, breaking the silence, "not like it's the happy memories keepin' us awake, right?" he asked. God knows the last time he had a happy dream…

She took the cigarette back, staying silent as she took in another drag.

"Your mom is amazing. Your sister's a darling," she muttered. He raised an eyebrow at the change of subject but accepted it.

Daisy had talked about Sydney for at least an hour after Ariel left, about the lazer pointer she'd let her borrow, how high Sydney had jumped on the wall. And then there was his mum… he feared that he'd have to deal with Ariel the same way with Roxy – that there was nothing romantic – however his mother's attitude was different.

It was praising all the same, but he noticed that the way she talked about Ariel being so kind to let them into her place, and even when she mentioned that they talked about Dean… she seemed relieved almost. He noticed that his mother seemed less heavy, less distraught… she'd said that Ariel was the first person she actually spoke to about Dean that didn't look at her with pity. He knew that even though he'd seen what Dean had done to his mom, that she was hiding the entire picture from him.

He shook his head, and smiled.

"Mum raved about you. Loved the fact that you're American, livin' by herself. I told you, it's not just anybody that would invite them in. She sees you as a saint," he said, recalling the almost admiring tone his mum had used when talking about her.

She let out a soft laugh, taking in a last drag, finishing the cigarette as she shook her head.

"Now you're just laying it on too thick. Come on, fess up," she said, dropping the cigarette on the ground, grinding the last embers under her slipper.

He stopped, not sure how to continue. Should he lay it all out for her… let him know the kind of man he was – hell, still _is_? Harry only had a certain amount of time to _transform_ him…

He took in a shuddering breath.

"She told me what you talked about," he began, and when he saw the panic on her face he continued, "at least on her end."

Ariel slowly nodded.

"Eggsy-" she started, but he cut her off, deciding to get it over with.

"I almost killed him and his crew once, y'know that?"

He watched her take a step back, her eyebrows furrowing. She wasn't fearful… she looked at a loss. He let out a breath, bringing his hands into fists as the memories of his step-father started flooding in involuntarily.

"Fuckin' Dean. And I couldn't do anythin' before then. Just let it happen. There was Daisy, who was his… I was trapped. We were all trapped."

He started mumbling after that, about how Dean controlled their lives, barely supplied for them, barely did anything that helped them as a family. He was only focused on keeping his name in the streets.

"Eggsy…" he heard her say softly, but he shook his head.

"And I let it happen. He ignored Daisy, barely gave a shit about her, and I had a feelin' he was hurtin' my mum… saw the bruises… I was either so dull to not notice it or just a shitty of enough of a son to ignore it!" he continued, his breath quickening, his voice rising. It was time for her to know who he really was, he decided. Yes, he was a Kingsman, but he would always be that deadbeat kid underneath…

"Eggsy!" she raised her voice, but he only shook his head and continued.

"And I would just stand there, just look at her, not-"

"Eggsy," she said again, and in his peripheral vision he saw her arm coming towards him.

He didn't know what to blame it on – his anger at recollecting Dean or his training – but he turned and leaned back, reaching up to grab her wrist in a tight grip.

Her gasp drew him out of his momentary lapse and his eyes focused on hers. He squeezed her wrist softly before he let go, taking a shaky step back, his legs coming against her balcony railing. He reached back to hold the railing tight, his knuckles turning white as he let out a deep breath.

"Ariel-"

"You said you _almost_ killed Dean," she interrupted, "who was it that stopped you?"

He shook his head again, frowning. Though he should have figured, she was always quick to draw the right conclusions…

"How do you know it-"

"If there was no one to stop you, no one so important - you would've done it one way or the other."

He blinked and frowned again when he noticed that his blurry vision was from tears that threatened to spill. He took a deep breath and looked up at her, not bothering to hide it.

She was looking right at him, not with pity, not with apathy…

"It's who keeps me up at night. He stopped me," he found himself saying with a crack in his voice, and he took in a deep breath.

He watched as she closed her eyes for a beat before opening them and staring him down.

"There's a right moment for everything. The moment he took away from you… he knew that you had chosen the wrong one. And from what I've learned from Michelle, he was right. He helped lead you to the right moment."

He froze.

Was it the right moment, though? If he had messed up Dean then, Harry would've had to come and clean it up… maybe then he wouldn't have the time to visit the church in Kentucky and another would've taken his place. Maybe then he'd still be alive…

He didn't say anything. He just took a deep breath, willing his eyes to dry as he gripped the railing behind him even tighter. His sudden outburst hadn't scared her… why was that?

"Well… either we can smoke another cigarette, or we can go kill some Russians," she said, breaking their silence.

He jerked his head up, meeting her gaze, frowning.

What the hell did she mean by that?!

" _Call of Duty_ ," she explained. He let out a breath and grinned.

Surprises left and right with this one…

"Now," she continued, "I'll have you know I can only do Recruit or Rookie level – I babysat when I was younger and a dad had the game, I played after I put the kid asleep. I don't know about you, but it helped erase all the bad shit. So I got it for myself."

He raised an eyebrow.

Who'dve known…

She sighed, looking down at her feet.

"This is me inviting you to play a violent video game with me. Give it an hour, we'll both feel better."

He could only stare at her, watching as she drew into herself, hugging herself close, as though waiting for rejection… He'd just told her he was homicidal towards another man and yet there she was in her Spongebob pajamas, inviting him to play a video game with her.

He stepped forward and she looked up at him apprehensively.

"Sounds like the best idea I've heard in a while," he said, smiling.

Her returning smile made this night's nightmare worth it.

* * *

The sunlight breaching her eyelids woke her up. She sighed and kept her eyes closed for a moment longer before she opened them. But then she froze.

She fell asleep on her sofa? She looked around the living room, moving slightly, but realized her legs were restrained. She looked down and gasped when she saw Eggsy lying on the opposite side of the sofa, their legs entangled in the middle.

She blinked, remembering the late night before – even the early morning hours as they played _Call of Duty_ – Eggsy somewhat scarily an expert at the game. He wasn't like others she had played with, rushing in, shooting at everything and anything; he planned ahead, pointing out ways to approach, where to hide behind for cover. They found a sync in playing together; Eggsy didn't need to call out if there was a grenade near her or if she had to duck and cover in a hot spot – they worked together.

Soon enough, without them talking about the game, and instead playing flawlessy, they were talking about random things. Such as odd childhood memories: Ariel talking about the time her parent's lost her at the Lincoln Memorial when she was ten, finally finding her climbing one of his legs; Eggsy told of a time he fell from the monkey bars at seven years old, breaking his arm.

She didn't even realize they had both fallen asleep, playing and talking into the early morning. She glanced at the hall, where she had put up a clock.

Only 7am. She didn't have anything to do – she had the day off - but he was always in and out at weird hours… she felt obligated to wake him just in case.

She shifted her legs, pulling them towards her, hoping it would jostle him awake, but to no avail. She swung her legs down and stood up, frowning down at the sleeping Eggsy; one hand was tucked behind his head, the other resting across stomach.

Couldn't he at least snore?

She sighed, shaking her head as she walked to the kitchen, opening her fridge and thinking about what to cook up; maybe the noise of her making breakfast would wake him up. She only had a few eggs left and brought them out before turning on her coffee maker.

The eggs were on the pan, sizzling sunny side up when a deep "hullo" had her looking up.

Eggsy stood in the doorway, hesitant and sleepy, his eyes not fully open and awake.

"Hey," she said, smiling awkwardly. She didn't know what to really say or do, so she pointed down at the eggs, and then at the coffee maker which was still dripping coffee.

He followed her movements and looked back at her smiling.

"I uhm… I gotta go check on JB, is it cool if I bring him? Those eggs smell good…" he said cautiously.

She nodded, her eyes widening.

"Uh, yeah, sure," she stuttered.

He smiled, his eyes opening more as he walked to her backdoor and onto her balcony. She walked forward and got there just in time to watch him lithely jump over to his own balcony and slip inside his place, JB 's excited barks filling the silence of the morning.

She rushed back to the eggs and slid them onto a plate, figuring they could eat from the same one - one less dish to wash - and brought down two mugs for the coffee.

She was thinking she should've asked him to bring sausages or toast or something when Eggsy came back through her door, holding JB under his arm. He put him down and JB let out a yap and rushed to Ariel who smiled and knelt down to scratch his back.

"What, did you toss JB over and then jump?" she asked jokingly as she stood up straight, though she was curious.

"No, just held him. Got a running start…" he said.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Just… jumped. While holding a dog, you jumped over a railing, sailed a few feet through the air, and landed on my balcony," she said matter of factly.

"Uh, yeah?" he asked, as though confused why she was telling him.

She blinked.

"Are you're sure you're a tailor?" she asked, bringing the mugs and plate of eggs to the island. Eggsy sat down at one of the stools and pulled out the other one for her. She sat down as Eggsy turned to her, looking sheepish.

"I used to do gymnastics. I did stuff like that to show off… it even got me out of a fight or two…" he explained.

"Parkour. It usually means getting from Point A to Point B in the quickest and most efficient way possible… though now it seems in just the flashiest way… but it's still pretty cool," she said.

He smiled, and nodded.

"It feels good - when you stick the landin' that is - I've messed up a few times, always hurt like a bitch," he said. He stopped, and shook his head.

"Shit, sorry – sorry… my language I mean – I'm sorry," he said.

She stared at him for a beat - he looked genuinely apologetic - before she laughed.

"What the hell are you, man?" she said when she calmed down. Eggsy froze, and stared at her questioningly.

"You're a 'tailor' who does parkour and travels the world, your sister and mum have _you_ to thank for saving them, - and by which in saving them meaning you beat up a group of guys in a fight which was one against what, five, six? And you've got this Southern London accent, which I love, don't worry about that, but then at the same time you're apologizing to me for saying 'bitch' and 'shit' like an old fashioned gentleman. I mean who the hell are you?"

He blinked, staring into her eyes, almost looking caught. She only stared back, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm your neighbor," he said simply.

She blinked, but then laughed again.

"You've got me there," she said.

"But I also like to think you're a… friend," Eggsy continued.

Her fork froze mid-air on its way to her mouth, full of eggs. Nervously she brought it forward and put it in her mouth, chewing as she looked at him and nodded.

His smile grew, and she looked back to the eggs.

They finished breakfast in comfortable silence.

* * *

"Hey check it out; neighbor-boy has become lover-boy."

His eyebrow twitched as he walked over to the window, Adinski stepping back so he could look through one of the the small holes they'd cut into the wooden boards nailed at each window.

Sure enough the neighbor was walking out of their target's front door, the both of them in pajamas. He had that damn dog with him too. They shared words, waved goodbye, and the kid jumped the railing as the dog ran down and around, the both of them disappearing into their respective flats.

"This could complicate things," Adinksi said.

He turned to look at him.

"The kid's been a complication from the start. We can't find squat on him. We know he's not just a tailor. Pope's been to the shop but it's clean."

"Just a road bump," Pope said from the other side of the room, on his laptop as always.

He shook his head.

"Not one that we need."

"Relax, Fosser," Huckaby said.

He rolled his shoulders, moving his neck back and forth, cracking it. He'd come to regret the name he chose. In this line of work, none of them used their real name. They lived with multiple aliases.

"Can't really relax when our employer is on our asses about this," Fosser said.

Pope snorted at that.

"It's him who decided to hire bloodthirsty mercenaries for a kidnapping mission."

"And a nerd," Kadinski added. Pope only shrugged, his fingers flying across his keyboard.

"Not my first rodeo. Though it's been my longest assignment yet, I'll tell ya that," Pope said, his eyes never leaving his screen.

Fosser nodded, walking over to the wall with an extensive amount of photos of their target.

He'd taken care of the parents himself months ago – that was the easier part. It should've been the final part but false evidence of the Doctors having all of their research instead of only part of it had the four of them where they were now. There used to be five of them, but for their employer making a mistake cost you; and money wasn't the cost.

However watching over this girl since was the redundant part. The long, boring part. Staying holed up in the single bedroom apartment across the street with boarded windows, uncomfortable cots and a toilet that hadn't been cleaned for a while.

Still, he'd been in worse conditions, and he knew his fellow crew-members had also been through harsher environments as well, even their tech, Pope. This was like a Five Star hotel.

At least she was pretty enough, he told himself as he looked at the photos of her tacked on the wall, creating its own wallpaper. Photos of her with her parents, of her staying stoic at their funeral, a few of her getting into cabs drunk the weeks after, her at the new flat, walking to work, buying flour at the grocery store.

Among them were new photos of her with the neighbor, who was indeed a problem. Pope, the expert behind a keyboard, couldn't even find anything on him. He was a ghost linked to a legitimate tailor shop, which even then was a ghost itself. They'd even used facial recognition on him and who they expected was his mother and sister, but even they came up without a match. It just didn't add up.

And now, him sleeping with their target, staying overnight: an added complication.

"If only she'd just moved back home, we would've already been done with it," Huckaby muttered.

Kadinksi raised an eyebrow.

"Can you blame her though, the shit show it is now?"

He was right. Ever since the President and his cabinet along with a majority of the Senate and House of Representatives all had their heads blown off thanks to Valentine's security chips, the United States dropped into chaos. However after all of Valentine's prisoners were released it was discovered that the only official in the Presidential line of succession who didn't believe in decreasing the population was the Attorney General. His first action was to declare Martial Law, to cease the rioting and looting that continued well after Valentine's chips were disabled while the government built itself back together.

" _Blade Runner_ , _1984_ , whatever dystopian movie or novel about America, that shit's turning true," Pope said, "all because of fucking Valentine. Cleansing, decreasing the population via homicidal Darwinism? Having every and any person of power under his thumb, forcing any other to be a prisoner? Fucked up shit right there," Pope said.

"Well, it's a brave new world that our employer is taking advantage of."

Huckaby snorted.

"That bastard's been taking advantage well before this shit storm. He's just gotten better at it."

With the U.S. Government trying to rebuild, with hundreds of elections happening each month - Senate, House, Local, the works - even the Presidential Election had been ongoing for a while now - it was vulnerable to those with power. And those with power owned corporations, like their employer. Seats in the Senate and the House were bought with JewelCorp money, along with two separate candidates for the White House and multiple contenders for the Cabinet. The U.S. had hope for a clean slate, for a new and clean government. But it was going to be just like the old one – even worse – where money meant power and change, not true democracy.

"Yeah, well this bastard is too impatient. It's not our fault Kaling fucked everything up," Kadinski said, coming to stand next to Fosser at the wall with the photos of their target.

"Maybe I'll pay her a visit," Fosser found himself muttering, an idea forming.

He was met with silence.

"Fosser…" Pope said slowly in warning.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"We're not supposed to interact with the target."

"That was before when we thought we'd get everything in the first run. Like Kadinski said, Kaling fucked everything up, no offense to the dead bastard. But he knew better to jump on an opportunity without double and triple checking the data," he said, turning to Pope and then back to the wall of photos, "It'll be informative."

Pope and Huckaby shared a look.

"And as head of this op," Fosser continued, "I have a fucking say about what happens. Pope, find a cheap suit. I'm tired of looking at her through the lens or through the window. Time to figure out who this girl really is."


	7. Chapter 7

Sydney pawing at her face woke her up.

She turned over, groaning at the thought of having to get out of bed prematurely. It could be Eggsy again, telling her of yet another trip. She opened her eyes as she threw off the covers and got out of bed, looking down at her pajamas; simple sweats and a shirt. No embarrassing sets for her this morning.

She stumbled down the stairs, yawning. Sydney followed but didn't run forward to the door to scratch and rub on it. Ariel was too tired to notice and didn't check the peephole before she swung the door open and leaned on it for support.

"What's up?" she asked, letting out another yawn.

"Ariel?"

She blinked at the familiar voice, her eyes no longer sleepy. She stopped and frowned. It wasn't Eggsy.

"Ariel, you changed your hair…"

"Wanted a new look," she said, frowning, "What are you doing here? How did you find me, Dylan? Or even get my number?" she asked.

She kept the mumbling voice message he had left on her machine for a day or two, repeating it once or twice before deleting it; it was a problem she didn't want to deal with until the last minute. She didn't think it possible that one could procrastinate their own grief, but there she was, deleting the very reminder of her parents.

It didn't completely work; he was here right now, staring down at her.

He looked down and shrugged.

"Checked the listings, I figured the only Sydney Bristrow at Cambridge wasn't just coincidence... I explained the situation and they sent me your info, you've still got some debt they're concerned about."

She balked at him.

"Get the fuck off my stoop."

"Ariel-"

"The fucking nerve, Dylan!" she said, stepping forward and closing her door behind her. No way was she going to let him in now.

Cambridge was continuing to send her letters, a few somewhat threatening - writing that they knew she came into a trust and that she had sufficient funds to pay off her International Student Loans, but she ignored them; they had no legal way to change how she paid them off.

It was a deal she'd made with her parents. She wanted to have some independence in college when she still lived with them, so she carried out the loans in her own name. She was always on time with her payments, which she gave monthly, with her own money; then from babysitting and nannying, and now from her pay at the gallery.

Him talking about it so blatantly, as though a mouthpiece to the money hungry Cambridge, just like any other college... him delving into her private information opened the recently closed wound.

"The department is on my ass about this, Ariel! I can't fucking believe it, so heartless when they talk to me about it. But they do… constantly."

She stared at him: the closest link to her parents. As their RA, he was there each and every day in the lab, their assistant, their student. Her mom hated him, said he was too ambitious for his own good, too cocky to have the right mind for research… but her dad loved him. Said he saw his younger, even stupider, self in him.

"They say they're gonna toss it all" he continued quickly, "but I keep fighting them on it. I would get a storage locker or something of the like but I just don't have the money right now, Ariel. But you do, just-"

"I'm not ready, Dylan," she interrupted sternly.

He stopped and closed his mouth, looking down at her.

He always was tall and lanky. Sometimes her mom would lower a light stand or even a chair to pull small pranks on him; Ariel even saw it one time as he turned and bumped his head right on the bar of a light stand. She had to leave the room so she could break into fits of laughter; her mom joined her soon after and they cracked up together in the hall, wiping away tears of mirth before re-entering the lab.

"I can ask for two more weeks – maybe," Dylan said and she blinked her thoughts away, nodding.

"Two weeks," she said softly.

Dylan stood there still, staring down at her.

She crossed her arms.

He sighed, and gave a weak smile.

"Just call me if you need anything, yeah? Two weeks... I'll be back soon. See you, Ariel," he said quickly and turned to rush down her steps and down the street before she could get a word in.

She sighed and rushed inside, leaning against her door as she closed it.

Two weeks. She had two weeks before the memories of her parents – which she had put off for a good bit of time – would come flooding back.

* * *

A week later she took a more scenic route home after work, passing by Hyde Park and going out of her way to step on crunchy leaves as she walked down the sidewalk. Dylan had called her again that morning and it haunted her day at work.

The sun was setting, the sky slowly turning pink as she continued stepping on crunchy leaves, walking by other people on the street, hearing laughter and dogs barking from the park she walked along, Dylan's voicemail on repeat in her head.

He was calling to 'check up on her' but he also managed to subtly slide in that her parent's belongings would be arriving soon. He was going to be annoying about it, she could tell. But she wasn't ready to call him back.

She heard a light bark growing in volume, and a tan blur passed in front of her as she stepped on a leaf that turned out not to be crunchy and lost her balance, falling over -thankfully- onto the grass.

She laughed, lying on the ground, looking around for the culprit.

A recognizable smushed-up face greeted her, giving two licks to her cheek before barking again and turning in a circle. Suddenly a large black poodle joined, stepping over and around the both of them.

"JB?" Ariel asked, confused as she looked at the poodle, groomed regularly and not in the 'fancy way', then back at the pug, the two of them sitting side by side.

She got up to her knees, sitting back on her heels and she patted JB on the head, his tongue falling out the side of his mouth while he panted. She eyed the poodle and slowly reached forward, waiting for the black nose to sniff her hand before she reached forward and scratched behind its ear. To Ariel's surprise the Poodle let out a small whine and then bent down and lay on its side. Ariel smiled as she reached and scratched at the dog's – her – belly.

She pulled back, standing up as she looked down at them.

"Well, what a pleasure, seeing you guys here. Where are your counterparts, though?" she asked, especially wanting to know about the black poodle. It was quite the juxtaposition, the two dogs sitting next to each other, looking up at her expectantly.

"Ariel?" she heard her name and turned to see Eggsy coming towards them. She saw a young woman with him and she quirked an eyebrow but still smiled. The two of them stopped in front of her. The dogs both barked but JB stayed with Ariel as the poodle went to the young woman.

"Hey, it's been a while," Eggsy said, smiling at her. She refrained from raising an eyebrow, but nodded. He wasn't in a suit but rather sweats and a black shirt with the logo she'd seen him wear before. She kept meaning to ask what it was but never really got around to it. However right now wasn't the time…

She smiled and held out her hand to the girl who looked around their age.

"Hey, I'm Ariel. She's beautiful," she said, nodding down at the Poodle.

She smiled and nodded, shaking Ariel's hand with a particularly strong grip.

"Thank you. I'm Roxy," she said.

Ariel blinked and then grinned when she recognized the name Michelle had said, sneaking a glance at Eggsy. He winced and shook his head, bringing up a hand to run through his hair.

"The colleague," Roxy continued, and Ariel turned to look at her, "not the girlfriend."

Ariel smiled, and titled her head.

"Shit, I'd bet you'd be a knockout in a suit," she said, even though Roxy looked amazing in only jeans and plain black t-shirt.

Roxy laughed and turned to Eggsy.

"I know what you mean now," she muttered.

Ariel blinked, turning to look at Eggsy, who was looking down at JB who, in turn, was glancing at Roxy.

"What's her name?" Ariel asked, trying to diffuse the awkwardness.

"Athena."

"Suits her," Ariel said, bending over and scratching Athena's chin. She closed her eyes, her tail wagging.

"So, a female tailor… no offense but that's unexpected," Ariel continued.

Roxy's mouth twisted up, but she shrugged.

"It's been in my family for generations. And honestly I can say it's something I enjoy," she said, stealing a glance at Eggsy.

"Taking the long route home?" he asked, looking at her. Ariel nodded, and the voicemail came back into her head again.

"What's wrong?" he asked, jarring her from her thoughts as he stepped close.

She blinked and shook her head.

"Nothing," she said quickly, looking down and taking a step back.

She looked up to see Eggsy frowning at Roxy, who was frowning back. Feeling stuck Ariel knelt down, and both JB and Athena rushed to her. She gave them attention, petting the both of them.

"A poodle is a good choice, no offense, Eggsy. One of the oldest working breeds, and an expert at tracking," she said, scratching Athena's chin.

"What about JB?" Eggsy asked, sounding almost insulted. Ariel smiled, scratching said dog's back before standing up and looking over at him.

"Pugs are just as noble. Extremely loyal, and they've got bigger personalities than their little bodies can handle," she said, grinning, "In fact they were the most sought out breed when they were brought over from China. Queen Victoria was quite the fan."

Eggsy smiled at her, and then turned to Roxy.

"Royalty, d'ya hear that?" he said teasingly.

"What was that, Ariel? Did you say _expert_?"

Ariel couldn't help but laugh at the both of them.

JB let out a growl and barked and ran off, chasing a Frisbee a few feet in the air above him. Eggsy cursed and ran after him, leaving Ariel and Roxy alone.

Ariel stayed silent, not even sure what to say. She looked around, casually glancing at Roxy who was kind of staring at her – she averted her eyes quickly.

"So… what do you do?" Roxy asked finally.

Ariel cleared her throat.

"I'm an assistant slash receptionist at Photographer's Art Gallery."

"No kidding? That place on Umber Road?" Roxy said, turning to face her. Ariel did the same and blinked but nodded at Roxy's happy expression. "Oh, my mum loves that place! I remember one time my dad got her a rare re-print by Ansel Adams for their anniversary, and she just burst into tears."

Ariel laughed.

"I can only hope I've helped sell such a gift… that sounds so amazing. But I've only been there about a month."

Roxy smiled.

"You know a lot about art, then?"

Ariel shrugged, feeling uncomfortable.

"Mostly about photography, I can't tell you about DaVinci or whatever classics there are. I love Classic Art and paintings overall… but it's different with Photography. There's a science to it as well, not just the camera itself but in darkroom printing, even electric printing, whether it be black and white or color."

"So you're a scientist, then?" Roxy asked.

Ariel laughed and shook her head.

"Not really. I was raised by them, though," she said, and then frowned. She cleared her throat. "So, you make suits, then?" she changed the subject. Roxy's eyebrow twitched but she nodded.

"Like I said… it's been in my family for a while, but truthfully I'm the first female to enter the… field, so to say."

Ariel blinked but smiled at the thought.

"Female tailor," she said, "it's definitely a male dominated field, but with reason."

Roxy grinned as though she understood something more than what Ariel was saying, but nodded.

"That's true… but times change, don't they?"

Ariel smiled, nodding.

"One of the most fickle things…" she said, and Roxy let out a laugh.

She turned to look over at Eggsy in the distance, now surrounded by kids who were gushing over JB who was belly up on the ground, enjoying the attention.

"I should get going," she muttered. She still had time to prepare herself for Dylan, for her parent's things… she figured she should get the last of her own boxes unpacked before even more came.

She cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled out "See you, Eggsy!"

He looked up and frowned, standing up and leaving JB with the kids as he jogged over.

Her cell phone buzzed, the ringer off. She frowned, pulling it out of her pocket. She recognized the number as Dylan's from the voicemail before and frowned more, shaking her head as she put the phone away, letting it vibrate.

Eggsy reached her, frowning as well.

"What's up? Who's callin?"

She shook her head, faking a smile.

"Just telemarketers, they keep bugging me about updating the computer that I don't even have…" she lied.

"You sure?"

She nodded and took a step back.

"Well, anyways I'm beat, so I'm going to head on home. It was great meeting you, Roxy."

"Here, I'll walk with you," Eggsy started, but Ariel frowned, shaking her head as she glanced over at Roxy, who to her surprise was also frowning at Eggsy.

"No, no, I like walking alone, and I'll be slow… I'm going for the crunchy leaves."

Eggsy stared at her as though he knew she was hiding something.

"Again, great meeting you, Roxy. See you around, Eggsy," she said.

"It was a pleasure," Roxy said, smiling. Eggsy nodded, his mouth straight but the echo of a frown still there.

"See you, Ariel."

She nodded and turned around, walking back towards home. She ignored the crunchy leaves.


	8. Chapter 8

"Rox, ETA?"

" _Lancelot, Galahad, come on._ "

Eggsy grinned as he eyed the large mansion through his sight, coming to one of the three guards on the roof.

"Lancelot, ETA?"

" _Just a minute. On my mark."_

"I'm set. Say the word," he said, still eyeing the guards through the sight on his sniper rifle as he lay hidden in the brush of a small hill overlooking the mansion.

They were in the quite stunning Scandanavia. Since its last Prime Minister had his head blown off due to one of Valentine's chips, there was now a woman taking the seat. And it seemed someone - the head of a militant group - had a problem with her new legislation, holding her and her husband hostage in their home for coercion. There were ten total outside and ten more inside, from what their satellites read.

" _Take them out in three,_ " Roxy started and Eggsy took a deep breath, his finger barely brushing the trigger, " _two… one._ "

He took the first shot, and the the man crumpled to the ground. He took the second shot, the bullet piercing through one body and landing in the chest of the man behind him. He re-cocked the rifle and checked his sight. He saw that one of them was twitching on the ground, dragging their body away, their hand reaching for a radio. He sighed and pulled the trigger again, finishing him.

"Done."

" _Just a sec,_ " Roxy's breathless voice said in his ear. He frowned and looked back into his sight, scouting the area.

He found her fighting off three men, two bodies already limp on the ground behind them. He grinned as he watched her jump, using one of the men's chests to kick off as leverage to get high enough to wrap her legs around another man's neck, delivering a bullet to the temple as they both fell. She then turned and finished the second one. The third man she had kicked down raised his gun but Eggsy pulled the trigger first, his body falling limp on the ground.

He watched Roxy stop and turn in his direction, seeing the frown from his sight.

" _Thanks,_ " she said, sounding resigned.

"Don't mention it. What's the position on the other two?" he asked as he stood up, strapping the sniper rifle on his back and bringing forward his Colt-AR with red dot sight – his weapon of choice. He ran down the hill and towards the mansion, his head looking back and forth. He reached Roxy soon enough, her gun raised as she covered for him.

They silently nodded at each other, Roxy dropping her stance.

"The others?" he asked, knowing there were two more men on the perimeter.

"I took care of them first. They were on a smoke break."

"Well, they do say smoking kills," he said grinning and Roxy only rolled her eyes, but he noticed her mouth twitch and her eyes squinted.

"Come on, we've got more inside," Roxy said as they walked to the large wooden front doors.

Eggsy put his hand on the doorknob, his gun raised. He nodded at Roxy before he threw the door open, both of them coming in, weapons raised, checking the area.

"Clear," he whispered in the silence.

Roxy nodded.

They checked through the first floor, finding two men in the kitchen which Roxy took care of with hand to hand, not bothering with bullets. He watched as she used a pan from a hanging fixture to knock one out, using their own gun to finish them and then snapping the neck of the other, Eggsy blinking at the cracking sound.

"Clear," Roxy said this time.

"Upstairs," he muttered and they slowly moved throughout the mansion, guns at the ready as they ascended the large staircase.

They stood on the landing, looking in each direction, but it was silent.

"Eight left," he whispered, "probably with the hostages."

Roxy only nodded and then motioned for them to go right first, walking down the long hallway, checking any open rooms just in case.

"Clear," Roxy said as she turned the corner, her gun moving back and forth, her eyes doing the same. Eggsy came forward and flattened himself on the wall opposite, eyeing the next long hallway.

"What kinda place is this?" he muttered. "I mean how many rooms does one old couple need?"

She shrugged as they moved quickly but quietly, checking any open rooms, muttering "clear" before they moved onto the next one. They reached the end and Eggsy was the one to turn the corner, his gun raised, finding the hall empty as suspected.

"Clear."

"Turn on thermal view, they have to be in one of these rooms," Roxy said, bringing a hand up to her glasses. Eggsy did the same with his own, his finger coming to the corner of the frames, pressing a small button. The lenses changed color and everything around him was blue, save for ten orange figures he spotted in a room to his left. Roxy and Eggsy both walked forward, flanking the doorway. Eggsy pressed the button on his glasses two more times, skipping the night vision option and returning his glasses to normal, Roxy doing the same.

He reached into his pocket and brought out a charge, sticking it to the doorknob, Roxy adding two more to the hinges. They took a step back and Eggsy held up his hand, counting on his finger. One… two… three – they discharged the small bombs, the sound of the blast shaking the floor.

They both went in, guns up. Eggsy shot two in the corner first and rolled to dodge bullets coming his way, coming up on his knees and shooting at another that charged towards him.

He heard a yell and ducked just in time as another man swung at him, he dropped to the floor and kicked, sliding back as he shot the man in the leg, adding another bullet to his head as he fell. Two more suppressed shots rang through the room; Roxy finishing the two men remaining, who were holding their guns at the hostages. Their bodies falling to the floor was the last sound before silence rang throughout the room.

There was only a beat of such silence before the two hostages started yelling in Danish.

Eggsy got to his feet and looked over at Roxy, who knew the language. She holstered her gun and went to the Prime Minister first, speaking fluently in a calming tone as she untied her and then moved to the husband. They both stood up, rubbing at their wrists.

He stepped forward, putting his arm through the strap on his rifle, letting it rest on his back, giving the couple a soft smile.

"It's alright, love," he said, winking at the Prime Minister.

She balked at him but she still blushed as she turned back to Roxy, letting off another string of Danish. He sighed and checked the room just in case – but the job was done.

Roxy continued speaking to the couple in calming tones as she led them out of the room, giving an exasperated look at Eggsy.

As soon as they got outside the proper authorities were there, as well as the Cleaning Crew from Kingsman. It all went by quickly – the Prime Minster and her husband were rushed off in an ambulance, Roxy bidding them farewell, and the Kingsman crew went inside to clean up the mess. They got a ride back to their plane from the police and were in the air within the hour.

Eggsy emerged from the back room, out of his black cargo suit and bullet-proof vest, now in his sweats and black shirt with the Kingsman logo on the chest.

Roxy was also changed and was enjoying something from the bar. He didn't know what she'd made but it had a cherry in it. Even though Roxy was quite the bartender he decided to grab a bottle of water for himself before falling into the seat next to her, sighing.

"Still can't get over that mansion," he muttered.

Roxy shrugged.

"Scandinavia has a rather rich history, apart from the Vikings. It could've been a castle they were living in."

"A Castle for only two people, please! D'ya know how many families you could fit into a fuckin' castle?!"

Roxy only laughed.

He smiled, shaking his head.

"So," she started casually, stretching out her legs before crossing them, "how's Ariel?"

He turned to look at her. She only stared ahead, but he saw her eyes flicker to look at him peripherally.

"What are you on about?"

"I knew it!" she said, sitting straight up and turning towards him in her seat, "Dammit Eggsy, you're getting personal!"

He wasn't sure how to react – because he didn't know if it was true or not…

"Wait, how'd you get that from only one thing?" he asked.

She shook her head and turned in her seat to fully face him.

"You got defensive about her instead of reporting _about the mission – which is her_."

"I'm bein' protective – that's the mission. She's fine, there's nothin' new I haven't told you already," he said, hating that he was even slightly lying to her, more-so at how transparent he was.

Roxy raised an eyebrow, but then shook her head.

"Eggsy-"

"We're friends, just like you and I… c'mon," he said, leaning back in his chair, looking at the ceiling.

"I met her just a few days ago; I saw how you were with her. This is different and you know that, Eggsy. This one is based on a lie."

He sighed, knowing she was right.

"She called you a tailor as though it were a joke…" she continued.

"I am a tailor… somethin' with Fabrics – that explained my trips – I travel the world lookin' at bloody suit fabrics," he muttered, taking another sip of his water. He would've asked her to make him a drink if he knew he was going be interrogated.

"You even detailed it – not just a simple 'Yeah mate, I'm a tailor, pretty borin','" she mimicked his accent. He couldn't help but laugh at that, finally turning to look at her.

"First, that was shit, and second – she called me out on it," he said, still laughing a bit, "said that only old men or mafia are tailors."

"I wonder how that stereotype started…" Roxy muttered, and he laughed again.

"That's exactly what she said too!"

Roxy's eyes narrowed and Eggsy turned away, taking another drink of his water.

"I rest my case."

* * *

Ariel was checking the time on her computer, sitting behind her desk at work. It was fifteen minutes until a new buyer would come to view their newest pieces privately.

She let out a sigh, having completed most of her day's work. She had some orders to enter into the system, which meant calling the necessary channels to confirm delivery and approve payment – but from experience she learned that the later in the day she called, the less time she was waiting on hold for a representative as she was forced to listen to redundant elevator music.

She looked up when she heard the soft bell for the door ring and saw a man walking in, eyeing the place before his gaze honed in on her sharply.

She found herself taking in a breath before she pushed back from her desk and walked forward, smiling as she held out a hand.

"Mr. Fosser, welcome! It's a pleasure to meet you."

The man had long brown hair slicked back and a well grown beard, neatly trimmed but quite imposing. His nose looked crooked, as though it had been broken a time or two.

He smiled as he shook her hand in a strong and imposing grip.

"Thank you darlin'. Now is that a fellow American accent I hear?" he asked in a light Southern Drawl. She widened her eyes, nodding.

"Yes, it is, sir! It's just amazing to meet someone from back home," she said slowly, somewhat lying. Something seemed off about this man, but she was good at pretending.

He nodded, his smile staying, his hand shaking hers a couple moments too long – which slightly irked her.

She cleared her throat, pulling her hand back.

"Well let me get Ms. Cantrell, and she'll be right with you," she said and turned away, rushing to her desk, picking up the phone and pressing the button for her boss' line.

" _What is it, Renzella?_ "

"Uhm, our four o'clock appointment, Mr. Fosser, is here, Ms. Cantrell."

" _What the hell? Showing up early like this… I'm still on a call, Renzella, take care of it._ "

"Sorry, what?" Ariel asked, gripping the phone tightly. She wouldn't admit it – he was right there and could probably hear her – but she didn't want to deal with him for long.

" _Take care of it. You're full time now. Show him around, sell the gallery, sell the pieces._ "

"Ms. Cantrell _-_ "

" _Can I count on you, Renzella?_ "

She glanced back at Mr. Fosser who was standing in front of a landscape of glaciers and water, his head titled. She turned back to look at her hand, the cord of the phone twisted between her fingers.

"Yes. Of course, Ms. Cantrell."

" _That's what I like to hear, Ariel. Fifteen, twenty minutes tops,_ " she said before hanging up.

Ariel blinked as she hung up the phone. Ms. Cantrell was quite the character, hard and soft at times. She always called her by her last name, but when she was congratulatory or in a 'soft' state, she used her first name.

It was the vote of confidence she needed.

She untwisted her fingers from the cord and put the phone down before walking towards Mr. Fosser.

"Apologies from Ms. Cantrell, she's currently stuck on an international call. However I'd be glad to show you around," she said.

Mr. Fosser smiled, and nodded.

"Sounds lovely, Ms…"

"Renzella, sir."

He raised his eyebrows.

"As of Dr. Clara Renzella?" he asked.

She froze, but slowly nodded, her heart catching at the name of her mother. He frowned, and rested a hand on her shoulder. She almost flinched at the touch – it was cold, it seemed almost predatory…

"My condolences. My younger brother just graduated from Oxford, said she was one of the best Professors he ever had."

She took a step back, glad to be rid of his touch as she nodded and looked away, but she couldn't be stand-offish to a client so she fought through the reluctant haze and replied.

"She was quite a woman, I'll tell you that."

"Chemical Biology, it's a rare and exciting field," Mr. Fosser continued, and Ariel refrained from frowning. She hated to be judgmental, but she doubted a man from Texas, nonetheless a rich man willing to by art, knew about such a field.

"She was a rare person," she said, fading off. She shook her head and walked towards one of her more favorable pieces, ready to change the subject.

"Well, here we have a new Wolfgang Tillman's, he's recurring his 'Abstractions' series, this time using water in his experiments of reactions of chemical compounds of photo paper in the darkroom," she said, and thankfully he took the signal and came forward to view the piece with her. "The series itself started with him collecting his darkroom mistakes while using color film, which is much harder than printing with black and white," she continued, looking up at the reddish purplish piece with ripples of water, but also a black spiderweb-like design in the corner, where the artist had added ink.

"I rather loved his 'Paper Drop' series," Mr. Fosser nodded, and Ariel turned to smile, nodding in surprise. Maybe she _was_ too quick to judge…

For that series, the artist took photo paper and dropped it from a height, and however the paper landed, folded over or flat, he would expose it to different colors of light.

"He's quite the artist – it's impressive how many genres his work has spanned over the years. Snap photography, portrait, fashion, abstraction, landscape," she continued. "He used water in this piece," she said, motioning towards it, "and ink, that's the spiderweb affect."

She turned to Mr. Fosser, but froze when she saw him leering at her legs, his eyes slowly crawling up her body before he met her gaze, which induced a shiver from her, her body turning cold.

How many minutes had it been?

"To start, I'll take this one," he said, nodding at the piece but keeping his gaze on her.

She turned to the piece, and then back at him.

"Sorry, what?"

"I want this, darlin'. It is a Tillman's after all," he drawled, and she only nodded, still feeling put off by him.

"I'll take it. His 'Abstractions' series calls to me," he drawled again, but she felt as though he was being fake, just like he was about the loss of her parents.

Thankfully she heard the back door open and the clicks of Ms. Cantrell's heels filled the silence.

"Mr. Fosser, my apologies," Ms Cantrell's voice rang out through the gallery as she came forward. She reached over and shook his hand before pulling back. "I thought our appointment was at four," she said passively.

He froze, but gave a fake big smile.

"My apologies, ma'am," he said, tilting his head.

Ms. Cantrell looked surprised, but then laughed.

"Oh, my darling, that accent forgives all. Thank you, Renzella," she said, dismissing her.

Ariel smiled and nodded, glad to get rid of him - but then he spoke.

"Actually she just sold me this piece. Always been a fan of Tillman's, but watching her talk about this piece made me want it," he said.

Ariel looked up, plastering a smile on her face.

"Well, she's got the eye, I can tell you that, I'm lucky to have her," Ms. Cantrell said, smiling and nodding at her.

Ariel's smile turned genuine as she looked back at her boss.

"I'm just as lucky, Ms. Cantrell. Now, I've got some work to finish, thank you," she said awkwardly, taking a few steps back before turning and walking towards her desk.

Mr. Fosser and Ms. Cantrell started speaking, but she ignored it, still perturbed by Mr. Fosser's presence.

She started her work, typing diligently on her keyboard, making a queue for the numbers she needed to call, when a shiver went through her spine.

She looked up and saw Mr. Fosser staring at her, that same predatory gleam in his eye.

She looked back down at her keyboard, frowning.


	9. Chapter 9

His eyes were drooping on the cab ride home as he pictured his bed and how close he was to finally laying down on it.

It was a last minute mission with a new recruit. Since there was more than one group of recruits to compete, an extra test was added. And it was a real mission, unbeknownst to the recruit.

For him it was a lengthy mission spanning three to five days – with little to no sleep as they landed at the border of North Korea and had to cross and infiltrate without being seen.

The recruit he was with, Jeremy, was perfect those first three days. He had perfect timing when they had to move to avoid being seen by guards and soldiers, was a perfect shot when the time came to take guards out, and he even cracked a joke here or there that had Eggsy confident that this kid was comfortable enough in the environment – a great candidate.

However when they tripped an accidental switch in the nuclear bunker where they had to stop the detonation of a nuclear bomb that would level South Korea, Jeremy cracked under pressure. Eggsy was left to fight off at least ten soldiers that stormed the doors after the alarms were shut off. Safe to say that he barely stopped the initiation in time, and had to work double time to guide a shaking and stuttering Jeremy out of enemy territory before they were safe on the other side of the North Korean border. It was safe to say that Jeremy was sent home, and Eggsy was now in the cab with multiple bruises to the stomach, stitches on his legs and arms, and a grazed bullet wound on his shoulder. The doctors at Kingsman headquarters were surprised he didn't have internal bleeding, and thankfully let him go home.

His driver, Mr. Brown, cursed and braked suddenly, honking on the car horn which had Eggsy jerking awake, looking around to see what had happened.

"Sorry, Mr. Unwin," Mr. Brown muttered as he threw his arm out the window and yelled out "It's called a turn signal, you arse!"

Eggsy sighed and grinned as he leant back in his seat, bringing up his arm to check his watch with a wince, frowning as he noticed the time. He would be almost fifteen minutes early for her to be coming home. If they did cross paths now, she would frown at him and tell him he looked exhausted, telling him he needed to sleep. And he would straighten his posture and bring a hand to his head in a salute as he said "yes, ma'am"; her blush each and every time was worth it.

He frowned and fingered his cufflinks as he sat back, unsure what to think about the fact that he was looking forward to her – even to her ordering him around. She was a target. Not an interest.

The cab stopped and Eggsy nodded at Mr. Brown, muttering a sleepy "Thanks," as he exited the cab, letting out a deep breath as he dove into his pocket for his keys. He brought them out as walked up the sidewalk towards his steps before someone clearing their throat dragged him out of his dazed state.

He turned to find a smug and lanky looking guy standing on the steps of Ariel's stoop, hands in his pockets.

He tensed up immediately, the situations running through his mind. He always had a piece on him; his gun was in his holster under his vest jacket, and he had the poisonous pen and the taser ring as well. He looked around: the street was its usual quiet save for a car or two-

"Are you Ariel's neighbor? Have you seen her around, she's not answering," the guy asked.

Eggsy looked him up and down. He was wearing slacks and a shirt rolled at the sleeves… and figured this wasn't Mikey. From reading the file about the abusive ex, he wasn't the one to wear such clothes.

"Who's askin'?"

The guy stopped, but then shook his head, smiling.

"Sorry, should've introduced myself," he said, coming down the stairs to the street, holding out his hand for Eggsy to shake.

"I'm Dylan, I was a RA for Ariel's parents before… well, anyways, the University is holding their stuff but are adamant on getting rid of it. The moving truck I arranged for her is coming soon, wanted to let her know."

Eggsy only stared, ignoring the guy's hand. But his mind woke up.

Her parent's things from the University… it could hold the research. But it would put her in danger if she received it regardless. Even if she knew about her parents – which he had perceived that she didn't know about, but she could be keeping that hidden away for all he knew – it would still be dangerous. The people behind this whole thing were ruthless enough to kill her parents in cold blood for only part of their research.

What would they do to her?

* * *

Hands full of bags from the store with flour, brown sugar, butter, and a bag of Skittles for herself, Ariel turned the corner of her street, grinning to herself as she thought about what to make next, sans the Skittles of course (but that didn't mean she hadn't thought of recipes including the fruity candy already). She wondered if Eggsy would knock on her door again, complaining about not receiving 'the memo' and insert himself in her kitchen as she baked.

She looked up as she neared her place but then stopped short at the sight that greeted her, dropping her bags.

Dylan was standing on the street in front of her stoop. And Eggsy was standing there next to him.

She sucked in a deep breath and noticed Eggsy tense up, his hands curling into fists as he gave a sideward's glance to Dylan.

"Dylan," she said tightly.

"There you are, Ariel," he said, smiling as though greeting an old friend as he walked forward and gave her an unwanted hug.

Shit, was it two weeks already?

In a sense, she invited yet dreaded the fact that she would be getting all of her parent's things from the lab. Most of it would be paperwork and research, but the rest of it would be trinkets, drawings and paintings from Ariel when she was a kid, pictures of her, of them… She knew she needed the closure. But she didn't want it. She'd have to face it: that they were really gone.

"I set up a truck and everything," he said, finally pulling back, but he picked up her bags before climbing up her steps.

She gave Eggsy a fleeting look before following.

"They're fine at the door, thanks," she said, knowing he wanted to come in.

His left eyebrow twitched but he only nodded and put the bags down.

"Baking again? Your mother always raved about you, said you muttered the chemical properties of each ingredient reacting as you made the batter," Dylan said, grinning.

Ariel sighed, but nodded.

"She's the one that taught me," she said tightly, knowing that Eggsy was still there, listening.

She hadn't told him about her parents yet. She knew that he knew she was in an abusive relationship – he was smart enough, what with her talk with Michelle, her reactions towards his quick movements, her freaking out about a fucking unlocked door…

"She was something…" Dylan faded off. He then cleared his throat. "Sorry, I never got your name," Dylan said and she reluctantly turned towards Eggsy, on his own stoop – level with Dylan as he openly stared him down.

"Eggsy," he bit out, which made Ariel frown.

"Nice to meet you," Dylan said, and Eggsy said the same, still frowning.

She sighed, shaking the tension away. She was caught – Eggsy didn't know, and she wasn't even sure she ever wanted him to know. To have him look at her with pity. To mutter his condolences while his face said it all, just like the others: oh look at this poor orphan.

She glanced between Dylan and Eggsy, still staring each other down, Eggsy looking at Dylan as though sizing up for a fight, which surprised her. How long were Dylan and Eggsy there before she turned the corner? What did Dylan say?

She frowned, knowing that Dylan's stupid mouth had probably blabbed about her parents. And she wasn't in the mood to deal with any of it. Not now. Only a blunt and surprising attitude would have them running away to leave her in peace.

"Dylan's here 'cause my dead parent's stuff is at Oxford – they were both professors there, the very reason we all moved here a couple years ago, actually. Anyways, they've been hounding him to get rid of it, so he came to me. A mover's truck full of their boxes of stuff is coming soon," she said in a fake and cheerful voice, adding a stiff smile for emphasis.

Dylan sputtered but Eggsy only watched her, his face unmoving.

"Dylan, thanks for arranging the truck. I'll call you if I ever have the inkling," she continued. He only stared at her wide eyed, but then shook his head.

"Ariel, I know this must-"

"You don't know shit, Dylan," she snapped, her façade falling, "You were an RA. They were your employers; you spent maybe a year with them. Try two decades and then some and come back to me, 'kay? But they're dead, so that's never gonna happen."

Dylan stopped, and his mouth went straight.

"Goodbye, Ariel," he said tightly before moving down her steps and leaving without another word.

She looked up at the sky, closing her eyes as she let out a deep breath.

"You 'kay?"

She dropped her head, taking in another breath before looking at Eggsy.

"I will be."

He frowned.

"You sure?"

She blinked, but nodded. People never asked further than 'are you okay'.

"I think so?"

He nodded and fidgeted with his keys. She looked down, digging out her own from her purse before picking up her bags from the store.

She'd opened her door and dropped the bags, hands on the door to close and lock it when he called out her name.

She froze and took a deep breath before walking back out to turn and look at him, ready for the pity.

But that wasn't what she saw. He looked concerned. Troubled.

"You'll let me know if you're unsure, yeah?" he asked.

She only nodded.

"Good."

She nodded again and went back in, closing the door behind her with shaking hands.

* * *

She'd avoided him since Dylan came to her place.

Like she said with fake cheer, soon enough a small moving truck was parked on the street, two men unloading boxes of her parent's things into her flat.

And just like the first day he saw her, she was standing on the street, holding Sydney in her arms; she was even wearing the same black dress… but this time, she wasn't yelling passionately. Instead she just stood there, shrinking into herself as she watched the movers moving back and forth from the truck to her flat, unloading the boxes, her face unmoving, but a few times she tucked her face into Sydney's fur, hugging her cat tighter before relaxing and raising her head back to a neutral face.

For her sake, he waited until she went back inside and the movers drove off before he called his cab to work – where he somehow forgot to mention the incident.

Come to think of it he barely reported on her – just spoke partial truths that they were acquainted, and he was continuously monitoring. But the only so-called suspicious behavior was Dylan on her stoop – however the way Ariel reacted made him think it wasn't the first time Dylan had visited. He had a feeling Merlin wouldn't appreciate if Eggsy reported exactly how close they had gotten.

His job was to protect and watch out for suspicious behavior. Dylan was the only thing, but he was an RA for her parents, he couldn't possibly be the one who was involved in their death – not if he wanted to get rid of their research and give it all to her. So that left nothing for him to report.

That night, Eggsy came home from a rather simple day: no new missions, just reports to look through and confirm about past ones, filling in any details needed. He spent some time with Roxy, Percival, and Amelia as they looked over the remaining recruits and made crude but useless bets. Merlin, somewhat nostalgic, was still overseeing the program; however he said that he would appoint Percival as the new Head of Recruits before the newest and last batch arrived.

He was unsure in that part – how would he find someone to bring forward? Harry found him by chance… something like that couldn't happen again. He climbed the steps towards his door, wondering if he should research Military dropouts like himself. However he was drawn out of his thoughts when he rested his hand on the doorknob and it vibrated against his touch… and then he heard the music.

He didn't even know the artist; it was some kind of rock… a lot of bass and drums. He jumped over the railing to Ariel's stoop and knocked loudly on her door, frowning – this was unlike her. And he had a feeling he knew why she was acting erratically.

She swung it open, her face lighting up at the sight of him. She had an Israeli Army t-shirt and pajama pants with a sunflower print.

"Eggsy! It's you! My trusssty neighbor!"

"Ariel…" he said cautiously, frowning at her enthusiasm.

"Come in, come in," she said, stepping back and turning to her living room, "did you know that Sydney scratches at the door anytime you come or go? I mean you've probably seen me peeking out here and then. Such a manly man… in a suit… never been a fan of tweed but... damn," she muttered, stumbling towards her sofa.

His mouth twitched at the last comment yet he decided to stay silent at the first part; he had heard Sydney's meows through the door whenever he was leaving or coming back home and he would sometimes notice the shadow of Ariel in the window. Sometimes he even looked forward to it, even if it was just her silhouette.

He looked around, taking everything in. Boxes cluttered her living room. Not her moving boxes, he knew, but boxes filled with her parent's things. Maybe even her parent's research. There was a lot more than he thought there would be; it was like that first night he came to her place; the boxes filled up almost half of the room.

"Juss what I need… a blatant reminder that they're gone," she muttered, taking a big gulp from her glass as she motioned towards them.

He stopped and stared as it finally clicked.

"Ariel… you're drunk?"

She met his gaze and tilted her head.

"True… absolutely true. True, but irrelevant," she said, grinning. Her eyes seemed unfocused and somewhat red, as was her nose.

She'd been crying.

"Ariel-" he said as he sat down on the sofa with her.

"Could you go and get me another pack of cigarettes? You call 'em fags here, right? Hate that word, it's derogulatory in the US, a nassty insult. Anyways, Marlboro 27's... I went through my pack in like an hour. This is why I don't drink unless on the weekends; I imbibe, even though it's a depressant… it's a hell of one if you ask me. I think it's even better than therapy – but that could be just the alcohol talking…" she babbled, bringing up her glass as though in a toast before she brought it to her lips and tossed her head back, finishing what was left in a few gulps, "I wonder what alcohol would sound like if it had a voice. Probably deep, right? Except vodka. I can imagine a high-pitched valley girl baby-voice for that. Ugh."

He looked from the glass to her and then back to the glass, trying not to smile as he looked around. Some of the new boxes – of her parent's things - were open, papers strewn about. Seems she got started, but couldn't finish. Given how closed off about her parents she was, he understood.

"I'm not gonna get you another pack, luv," he said as he turned back to look at her, giving an apologetic grin.

She hiccuped, but nodded, smiling.

"I knew you were a good one. Do you think McDonald's delivers, maybe? Too lazy to go for a cab… You want a drink?" she asked, jumping to her feet and moving surprisingly quickly and gracefully for someone who was drunk.

Eggsy stood and followed her to the kitchen. There was a liter bottle of coca-cola right next to a handle of tequila resting on the island counter - more than half empty.

"People always said I'm a happy drunk with Tequila. I stay away from Vodka, that's the devil," she explained as she went to a cupboard and brought out another glass before walking back to the island to make their drinks. She went rather heavy on the liquor, not measuring it, which made him wince, "I preferred Rum… but I never know what kind of drunk I'll be with it, you know? It's weird; you would think that liquor made from sugarcanes would make you always happy as opposed to a one made from blue agave plants… but no. Rum always made Mikey a violent bastard. Maybe that's why I don't drink it anymore!" she said, looking up at him as though she was discovering something new.

He frowned at the name.

Amelia had found a thorough file on her ex and Eggsy had barely gotten through half of the report before he stopped reading. He was exactly like Dean: abusive, controlling, dealing with drugs, crime rings and the like. However with Mikey's brother's influence, none of the five reported cases of domestic assault ever made the books, and the cop brother was even in on the drug rings, which made both Mikey and him free men. Something different from Dean, who, with help from Harry's extensive research, was sitting ugly in a prison cell for the rest of his life.

"Ariel," he said, shaking his head, taking a step towards her.

She shook her head back at him.

"No! Dammit... I might as well come clean about it right? I mean it's that or my parents… which you already know about. I only said that shit so abruptly because I wanted to get rid of him… actually no, I wanted to get rid of the both of you, especially that wanker Dylan - did I get that right? - and you looking at me like that…" she said, staring at him.

He kept her gaze, and her cheeks flushed more.

"Like that… stop it. Anyways, it has to be them or Mikey. Ugh, even that fucking name, _Mikey_. Michael is a perfectly admirable name, I never understood why he wanted that nickname," she said, shaking her head as she grabbed her glass, some of the contents spilling over. She didn't notice as she made her way back to her sofa.

Frowning, Eggsy grabbed the drink she'd made for him and followed her, finding her iPod dock and turning the music down to a softer, not so much thumping level

"Oh, that's better, magnifficantly better" she muttered and slurred before taking a big gulp of her drink, tapping on the cushion next to her with her hand.

"Come, hear the tale of Mikey the Abuser."

Eggsy flinched as he walked forward.

"Ariel, you should go to sleep-"

"Fine, you can leave if you want to," she said. Sydney meowed and jumped on the sofa. "Oh I'll tell Sydney then, even though she was there for most of it."

"Make it a short story," Eggsy bit out, taking a gulp of the drink – and choking at how strong it was. He shook his head and sat on the sofa next to Sydney, who only stared at him, her big grey tail twitching.

Ariel turned to him and tilted her head.

"Your loss, I'm quite the storyteller," she said before taking another drink – taking a few gulps actually, before resting the glass on her coffee table.

"Met him at a bar. His 'band' was the opening set for the header – I've forgotten the band, they were local but cool – my college friends dragged me along. He was actually quite an asshole, but he made it charming? Hard to explain. I'll never know how and why it happened, but it happened quickly. My parents hated him, but my mom was always nice to him, she was like that, always looking for the best in others. But that lasted until she noticed the first bruise."

She looked down at Sydney and pet her, Sydney's purrs loud against the low volume of the music. Ariel rested her hand in her fur, and continued.

"He'd grabbed me too hard. That's all it was – he was actually helping me, I was reaching for a hot pan of cookies without a mitt, wasn't paying attention. But then it got worse. It was the typical signs of abuse but… but he was so great sometimes when it was just the two of us. I'm not making excuses… there are none for how long I stayed with him. I'll never know why I stayed with him after the continuing abuse. It wasn't just physical… it was mental as well. The way he made me feel… it made me think that I was worth having him. It makes no sense, but abuse never does, does it? Make sense."

Eggsy took another gulp of his drink, wincing at the taste, looking at Ariel and then down at Sydney. Ariel's hand was still resting on her back, but the cat wasn't purring anymore and was again staring at him.

"How'd you get rid of him?" he asked as he reached forward and put his glass, still pretty full, on a coaster on her coffee table.

She moved her head as well, meeting his gaze.

"It was a mess… and it didn't help that his brother was a cop, either. That's what made him, in a sense, untouchable. But our final night together… I'll never forget. I'd made a joke. Not even a joke, but a quip – unfortunately about him. 'It's just that with all those freckles, I'm not sure people will see you as a tortured artist.'"

She laughed, shaking her head.

"I thought it was cute. He did have freckles, a lot of them, something I liked, even. But he always hated them, and I would always try to make him accept them, but also enjoyed jabbing at him for them – but that one night… it broke him. And for the first time ever, when his fist came towards me, I fought back. The look of surprise on his face was priceless, but then he got angrier. Broke a beer bottle against the table, asked if I wanted a real fight. I used a fucking textbook to fend for myself, but I got him as well. Managed to break his nose, and his arm."

Eggsy pulled back, blinking at her. She was much more capable than he thought. She really could hold herself, maybe it wasn't a façade as he'd suspected. She was still wounded, obviously – she was drunk because she couldn't open a few boxes containing the last memories of her parents…

He found himself smiling. Breaking an arm takes a lot.

"His brother didn't like the fact I fought back, and pressed charges against me. We went to court," she took a deep breath, and he froze, anger flooding through him.

"His cop brother and their lawyer filed a restraining order. Against me. I was the one with bruises, with scars, even a fractured wrist… but the one time I fight back and commit worse injuries… I'm the one on the witness stand trying to defend myself."

She took a shaky breath, and shook her head, continuing. To his surprise she wasn't slurring as much, with her eyebrows furrowed.

"And because all of the times I'd approached the cops about my innjuries - that were silently erased by his brother, even though I told the judge of my abuse, it wasn't considered. It wasn't on record, so to the courts, my abuse didn't exist."

She stopped, her breaths too quick. Eggsy reached forward to grasp at her hand but she pulled back, pulling away and shrinking back as she continued.

"I… I… I'd rather have taken another hit or two or three than be there, in that courtroom, being blamed. I was the one that broke bones; he was the one that bruised and fractured. I was the villain."

She turned to her coffee table, grabbing her drink, finishing it in a few big gulps, covering her mouth as she let out a petite burp. She held onto the empty glass, her knuckles turning white.

"It worked in my favor though, no matter how the court or the jury saw me. I was saved… I couldn't be near him, and he couldn't be near me. I was rid of him."

She sighed and pulled her sleeve up, showing two scars. She pointed to the long and jagged one – the other was in a circle, as though a cigarette burn…

She took another deep breath, her eyes now wet, pointing to the long scar.

"That night, fighting back, I got two more scars from him, a parting gift from him," she said, reaching up to her jaw, tracing the scar there.

Her fingers lingered on her face over the scar, her frown deepening, her eyes glazing over. He'd noticed it once or twice when she tilted her head, but never really thought about it. But now, looking at it, his body flushed with anger.

He looked at the two scars on her arm, now realizing she wore long sleeved or quarter sleeved shirts most of the time: always hiding them.

"They're permanent, the doc told me, but they'll grow fainter over time. But he'll always be right here, on my face, on my arm, other places… reminding me that he's still out there, that he got away with what he did to me. That in the eyes of the law, _I'm_ the bad guy. Such an ugly thing," she said.

Eggsy frowned at the fallen look on her face and he reached forward slowly, taking the empty glass from her hands, brushing their fingers together. He then leant forward to rest the glass on the table before leaning in closer to her, gently raising his hand towards her face, keeping her gaze so she felt safe. Her eyes widened but she didn't move as his fingers brushed against her jaw, feeling the juxtaposition of the rough scar with her soft skin.

"I think they're all rather beautiful," he said softly, keeping her teary gaze, "a reminder that you're a fighter."

A tear finally spilled from her eye and she closed them, moving her head towards his open hand, and he cupped her cheek.

Before he could realize it, she was uncrossing her legs and leaning towards him. He pulled his head back but she only snaked her arms around his waist as she tucked her head onto his shoulder and started crying. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her onto his lap as the cries became sobs, wracking throughout her whole body.

He closed his eyes, holding her just as tightly as she was holding him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> If you're actually reading this - and know of someone who would be down to BETA a new SW AU I'm cooking up, I'd appreciate it if you let me know! Thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

When she came to the first thing she felt was someone brushing the scar on her jaw.

However a split-second after, the pain that came flooding into her head was catastrophic. She couldn't even hold back the groan as she clenched her eyes tight, even though she hadn't opened them – she would never open them again.

"Rise n' shine, sleepin' beauty. You've got a hangover," someone said softly.

She sighed and groaned again; shifting her body to make sure it was still working. She then froze- because it wasn't her bed she was lying on.

Her eyes shot open, blinking in the bright light, her eyesight still fuzzy. She then heard a fast thumping in her ear. She blinked, her eyesight coming into focus, her body waking up, making her realize many things at once.

Firstly, the voice was right – she was definitely hungover. The throbbing head, the heavy body, she never wanted to move ever again. Secondly, she was in the living room, and she definitely wasn't lying on a sofa cushion. And thirdly, the steady thumping in her ear was a heartbeat, as she was lying on someone's chest.

She took in another deep breath, breathing through the throbbing in her head.

"Grease, Advil, and OJ," the voice said again, and she felt the reverberations of their voice through her own body.

"Eggsy – no talking," she groaned, not only in pain but because she realized who her cushion was from his voice, and the fact that her cushion wasn't so cushiony. She'd seen his arms from the shirts he wore, but never figured he'd be this… hard.

"Come on," he said, shifting their bodies. She closed her eyes, feeling dizzy and flushed from the movement. She was floating through the air… and then her butt hit a hard surface, her elbows resting on the counter in front of her.

"Where d'ya keep your Advil?" Eggsy asked softly again; the noise wasn't so damning to her senses.

"Bathroom, second drawer," she mumbled, resting her head on the cold surface, the feeling pleasant to her forehead.

A couple of moments later she was being pushed upright, Eggsy's soft voice telling her to take the meds and swallow with a glass of water. She did the deed and pushed him away, resting her forehead back on the counter.

She heard him moving around her kitchen, turning on the coffee maker, opening her fridge, the crack of eggs breaking, and the sizzle and smell – which had her opening her eyes and looking up – of bacon.

He looked over and met her gaze, smiling.

"Eyes open, that's a good sign," he said, stepping away from the bacon to bring a glass of what looked like orange juice towards her. She silently took the glass and took a few gulps, the cool liquid on her tongue a godsend. She heard a moan and realized it was her.

"There ya go," he said, turning back to the bacon, flipping the pieces and stirring the eggs a final time before taking the pan off the oven as he moved them onto a plate. Scrambled.

Still speechless, Ariel could only watch. He searched a few cupboards before finding her mugs, bringing two down as the coffee maker beeped, signaling it was finished.

He poured the coffee and rushed to her freezer to bring out two ice blocks, dropped them into one of the mugs, then brought it forward to her.

"Drink."

She only nodded, bringing the mug to her lips and taking a gulp, the ice cooling the temperature of the liquid so it didn't burn her tongue.

She cleared her throat but stayed silent as he finished the bacon, turning off the stove as he loaded the pieces onto the plate. He walked to her fridge again, grabbing ketchup before he walked around to sit next to her at the island, two forks in hand as he pushed the plate towards her. He pushed a fork into her hand and squirted some ketchup over the eggs.

Slowly she ate, the eggs crumbling easily, the bacon delicious and perfectly cooked. The coffee was bitter without milk or sugar but it cleared her senses somewhat.

He ate along with her, playing with her even, dueling their forks for eggs, taunting her with a piece of bacon before eating it himself. Even in her hungover state, she found herself smiling.

But when she looked at the bottom of the empty glass of orange juice somehow it all flooded back to her.

Last night: her parent's stuff arrived. After the first box she went through, she found herself making a drink - on the heavy side. She went through two more boxes, making a drink to accompany each one until somehow Eggsy was there. And then she was spilling her heart out about Mikey…

She gasped, dropping the glass, it clanging on the counter, falling over.

"Ariel?" Eggsy asked, grabbing her arm, turning her towards him. He looked worried… about her…

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," she said. Eggsy only shook his head.

"Don't, Ariel-"

"I just… I told you... _everything_ -" she babbled, shaking her head and then moaning at the pain it cost her.

"Ariel, it's okay-"

"I'm sorry," she said, frowning.

"Hey," he said sharply and she stopped, moving her head up slowly to meet his gaze. He grinned.

"It's alright, 'kay? You could've done worse, yeah? God knows I have," he said softly.

She blinked slowly, her head still hurting, but she tilted her head slightly, only hoping he took it as a nod.

He smiled and nodded back, turning on the stool and forcing the fork back into her hand.

"Finish your breakfast."

* * *

"He's gone, we should move in."

"No," Fosser said sternly, pulling away from the small hole in the wooden boards covering the windows. The neighbor was coming out of the target's place in his suit from yesterday, looking rumpled and wrinkled. Fosser's eyebrow twitched.

Pope stood up from his computer, running a hand through his already disheveled black hair and sliding the bridge of his glasses up his nose.

"I've already told the boss that we've got a confirmation on the rest of the research – he's been even more insistent we get the target and the rest of the research and head home."

"Lover-boy is still a problem. And my visit at the gallery taught me that she's still delicate about her parents. He's going to be more attentive – we can't risk it."

"All we have to do is wait for the both of them to be out-" Huckaby said but Adinksi intervened, finally stepping back from the window as well.

"And what, dress up as movers and take the boxes back? Lover-boy doesn't even have a consistent schedule, especially not for a tailor, and the target has random off-days."

"The gallery's got almost everything on their system, except for the fucking work schedule," Pope said, his crossed arms falling, "Fosser's right, this isn't gonna be so cut and dry."

Fosser grinned, looking over at the wall of photos of the girl.

"If it was, it wouldn't be as much fun."

Pope groaned.

"That's easy for you freaks to say. I'm just the tech nerd, I don't enjoy killing."

Huckaby shook his head.

"Can't even kill on this one, though, can we?"

Fosser shook his head, his eyes coming to a photo with lover-boy. The two of them were on their morning jog that he and the target sometimes took together. He grinned.

"That's a negative on killing the target. But the boss said nothing about neighbors."

* * *

Merlin was waiting for him in the dining room.

"Nothing to report, again, I assume?" Merlin asked, frowning.

He had to report it. He wasn't even sure why he didn't report it yesterday. Seeing her standing there on the street, holding Sydney tight as though her cat was her lifeline… he felt it would be wrong to report about it, at her vulnerable state.

Eggsy shook his head, letting out a breath.

"Nope, got somethin' for ya," he said as he put his glasses on and walked to the table, finding pictures of Dylan quickly and bringing them up on the screen on the wall.

"He's a prat, but he's harmless. Worked for Ariel's parents as their RA. Apparently the University was holdin' onto their things and bugged him to get her to take it all."

Merlin sat up straighter.

"She has 'em now; a truck came yesterday. There's a ton of boxes, now sitting unopened at her place," he finished.

Merlin frowned.

"And you failed to report this yesterday because…"

Eggsy stilled, not meaning to slip up like that, he'd meant to say _this_ morning...

"Because… well I got distracted. Busy day yesterday," he said, almost smiling at how he covered his ass.

Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, it was quite hectic, training with the new recruits."

Eggsy only blinked, his smile falling. Shit.

Merlin stood up.

"This is not like that false test during recruitment. The job isn't to win our asset over, Galahad, it's to protect and monitor."

Eggsy nodded, looking down at the table to avoid Merlin's stern gaze.

"Understood, sir."

There was a beat of silence before Merlin spoke again.

"You'll need to break in at the soonest chance. We need to know what's in those boxes."

Eggsy nodded again, frowning. He really would have to break in; Ariel never gave him one of her spares. She was always so diligent with her front door and its five locks. He'd have to get in through the back, he'd have no luck - or keep a low profile - if he tried the front door.

"I'm not sure about her schedule..."

"It's been more than a month, almost two, Galahad-"

"She has weird hours at the gallery, and even off days… she doesn't really go out…" he faded off, realizing. She never had friends over, and when he happened to visit the same Deli she was that one time, she was eating alone. She didn't even go out at night. Was he really her only friend now? Maybe he should introduce her to Jamal and Lee; they had girlfriends now, so he had a perfect excuse to cancel plans: nobody wants to be a fourth wheel. He hadn't seen them in a while.

But did he want them to meet her? Could they even meet her, with her being so (unknowingly) involved with his real work? That could get even messier for him.

Merlin cleared his throat; and Eggsy straightened his shoulders as he looked over at his superior.

"You will get it done, Galahad. And keep in mind the mission, not your personal feelings. I understood your reluctance at this mission in the beginning, as Kingsman we only condone risking a life to save another. However with this mission there is the exception: you being her neighbor lessens said risk. I suspect MI6 came to us with this job for that very reason – she would be at more of a risk being connected to a… vulnerable agency," Merlin muttered the last part.

Eggsy nodded.

"Understood, Merlin."

He stared at him for a beat, his eyes pensive behind his horn rimmed glasses before he gave a curt nod.

"This is a monumental step, Galahad. We just need to make sure it works in our favor."

Eggsy stopped. There wasn't a need for it – it was mandatory that it worked in their favor. Ariel was in enough danger as it was…

Merlin raised an eyebrow at him, and Eggsy nodded, clearing his thoughts.

"It will, sir."

* * *

She took a deep breath, standing on the sidewalk, staring up the steps that lead to her front door.

She'd made a promise to herself as she walked home from work, needing more time than a cab would've given her. She'd done it to think over the heavy feeling those boxes sitting in her living room were giving her.

Shit, she'd broken down and gotten _drunk_ … she couldn't even remember the last time she'd drank to get drunk, even alone. And all because of a few fucking boxes. But it was what they held was what had her stopping from taking that first step towards home.

She didn't know her parent's memories would come down to that. She'd had a hard enough time picking what to keep and what to donate when she sold the house, packing everything she kept away for storage, but this… the last remaining and unopened memories of her parents waiting for her…

Her feet kept her on the sidewalk.

Someone jogged past her, the loud but unintelligible music blasting from their headphones drawing her out of her daze. She took a deep breath and took that first step, bringing out her keys as she ascended towards her door.

She locked all of the locks behind her, dropping her keys in the bowl on her hall table, muttering a hello to Sydney as she took off her coat and shoes, all the while keeping her eyes on the doorway to her living room.

With fists clenched, she walked forward, Sydney weaving between her legs expertly to not trip her as she made her way to the nearest box.

The one and only other opened and fully dissected box was put to the side, with trinkets and photos and memories – the one box that drove her to a bottle of tequila before she attempted to comb through the others – so she left it alone.

She took a deep breath as she opened the lids, looking down at what waited for her.

She raised an eyebrow at the box filled with folders and paperwork, bringing out a folder labeled ' _Modafinil_ '. Her mind reeled as she looked through the rest of the box, all paperwork and folders, research on chemicals and drugs that either induced or prevented sleepiness, and a few on the reactions the nervous system held when infused with adrenaline. She didn't know all of the details of their work – her mother had a rule of no 'work talk' at home.

Maybe they were creating a new and improved caffeine pill?

She shook her head, picking up the box and moving it aside, then going to the next one. This one was filled with more refined research of drugs and compounds and the body's reaction with adrenaline.

She stopped, moving towards her coffee table to bring out a pad of Post-Its and a pen, labeling each box she'd been through, differentiating the boxes of papers and research apart from boxes that held photos, trinkets, and memories. She didn't look thorough them per-se, but she put them aside to look through later, maybe even never. She still wasn't sure.

When she finished she put the Post-Its and pen away, letting out a deep breath as she rested her hands on her hips, looking at the boxes now in two separate piles in front of her.

She did it. And not a bottle of tequila in sight.

Her stomach growled and she frowned, looking at the nearest window. Sunlight no longer peeked through the curtains. She sighed, Sydney meowing and jumping off the sofa to weave between her feet, begging for food, as she made her way to her kitchen.

She didn't remember much of that night. Her mind was in a daze as she put out food for Sydney, microwaved a two minute burrito for dinner, and ate it in record time before she crashed on her bed, falling into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Seriously, thank you! I hope you enjoyed reading as I did writing!


	11. Chapter 11

Eggsy was on the sidewalk, stretching out his arms when Ariel opened the door after giving up yet again on a morning of tossing and turning in bed.

He turned to look up at her, pulling his hoodie back and smiling.

They'd sometimes run together whenever she couldn't sleep. She hated to admit it, but if she was tossing and turning in bed in the early morning she would check the time and either go out to run with Eggsy or stay in bed when she knew he was already gone.

She jogged down the steps, gathering the bravery to face him.

It had been two days since she woke up hung-over and he took care of her – before she broke down on him yet again. After her crying jag was over, he'd made sure she finished the rest of their breakfast before helping her up the stairs, half carrying her to her bed, and rested a glass of water and a bottle of Advil on her bedside table before leaving her to sleep. He had left a scrap of paper on her bedside table with a note and his number, telling her to call him if she still felt sick.

She slept most of that day and when she woke again she did feel somewhat sick but had only stared at the piece of paper, at a crossroads. What did it say that she wanted his help, but was unsure how to ask for it – or even if she _should_ be asking it of him? What did it say about what was happening between them? That morning she felt a shift of sorts… that they'd grown from just being neighbors and friends. She added his number to her contacts just in case.

She glanced at him now in his sweats and hoodie, the first time seeing him since that hungover morning. However he wasn't watching her with an empathetic and equally sorrowful face like he was then, but instead with intrigue.

"How you doin?"

"Good."

"You never called, did ya sleep it off?"

"Yeah. C'mon," she said, and they started jogging, soon syncing in rhythm, the sounds of their sneakers hitting the sidewalk simultaneously.

Usually the silence of jogging between them was comfortable, as though they didn't need to fill it with small talk and nonsense, but today, for her, it felt awkward. She had something to say and it weighed on her, so after a while, she spoke. They were jogging lightly enough that she didn't feel strained.

"I uh…" she started and then stopped, unsure how to continue. Out of her peripheral view she saw Eggsy turn and look at her for a beat before he turned back to look forward, their paces synching.

"Thanks, for that morning. I probably wasn't so easy to deal with."

Eggsy stayed silent as they turned a corner and kept jogging. Ariel didn't even dare to look at him –

"I'm here. Y'know that, right? You said I didn't stay a stranger for long… the same's for me," he simply replied.

She almost faltered in her step but kept going strong. She even found herself picking up her pace, and grinned when Eggsy easily matched it.

"Well," she said, now catching her breath, "let's just say the next time you imbibe, I'll be doing the same. However I probably wouldn't be able to carry you to your bed, so you'd be stuck on your sofa."

He laughed at that and she grinned, shaking her head as they turned another corner. The streets were empty save for a car or two, and the fog had settled in, but it yielded enough visibility for them as they ran.

"Oh come on," he started, "you'd make up for it by baking somethin'… French toast? Waffles?"

She shook her head again.

"Probably croissants. They'd take a bit longer but they're basically made of butter, enough grease for a hangover."

He let out a "yumm" in agreement, and she laughed.

She felt a pain in her side and slowed down, clutching her side. Eggsy stopped, his sneakers squeaking on the pavement as he changed direction and came back to her, frowning.

"What is it?"

"Just a stitch in my side, nothing drastic," she said, still wincing but breathing through it.

He nodded and grabbed her shoulders to move her upright.

"Let's walk it off," he said. She nodded and they started again, now walking through the quiet streets.

"What _can't_ you bake, by the way?" he asked.

She frowned, thinking it through.

"Wedding cakes. Anything with an intricate design, I always fuck it up. Cinnamon rolls, the dough never really rolled whenever I made it… macarons – could never get the filling right… oh! And scones. They always turn out too dry or crumbly," she finished.

He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.

"What will the world do without scones?"

"People would riot, I bet. Civilization would crumble away."

He laughed, loudly this time, and she looked away as she felt another heat flush throughout her face. She hadn't made a bad pun in awhile, she couldn't even remember the last time.

"Well, if those are the only things ya _can't_ bake, then I'm in more trouble than I thought," he muttered so softly she barely heard it. She stopped walking, and her eyes grew wide.

What the hell did he mean by that?

He stopped when he noticed she wasn't next to him and walked back towards her, frowning.

"Sorry, didn't know not being able to make scones would leave you so… high and dry," he said, a teasing gleam in his eye.

She shook her head, laughing at his own punny retort and ignoring the new flush that reached her face. She looked ahead at the empty sidewalk. Even though Eggsy was taking the lead, she soon figured out what route he was taking them.

She'd mapped it in her mind; the first time she got lost – which was because of him – she went home and memorized the area on Google Maps: the street names, landmarks for her to note. There were a couple blocks or so she figured until they made another turn, moving exactly three blocks down to get to their street. She sighed, still walking along.

"You have no idea," she teased back before she started jogging, leaving Eggsy behind. She knew she was basically and literally running away from him after such a comment but decided what the hell, maybe her brain would knock around as she ran and help her figure out what to say next.

She heard him call out her name but she only laughed, quickening her pace into a run. She heard him catching up to her and pushed herself more, turning into a sprint.

He yelled out her name, laughing, still behind but she could hear him getting closer. She crossed another street, not bothering to look back and forth. She sprinted through the next block flawlessly, crossing another street.

He yelled out her name again, sounding close, his tone different this time, not so much calling after her but in concern. She turned her head to look back at him; his arms waving about, pointing at something. She heard a honk too close for comfort and she turned at the last second to see headlights breaking through the fog – coming right at her. She froze, not even sure she would make it if she jumped out of the way. Would it even be worth it, she could hurt her legs terribly-

Something heavy hit her and she soared through the air, hitting the pavement hard, spinning as she felt arms encircle her, one holding her head as they rolled, the sound of the car's horn passing them.

Their momentum stopped. She opened her eyes to see Eggsy right above her, barely an inch away. She felt his body covering hers, and his equally heavy and warm breath on her lips.

She blinked a few times, her eyes and mind coming into focus; realizing what he had done.

"Holy shit," she heard herself saying, his lips so close – too close – to hers.

"You 'kay?" he asked, coming closer, their lips barely brushing, making her gasp.

"Yeah," she could only whisper. He was on top of her, literally – one hand cupping the back of her head, the other in a protective stance resting on the pavement.

"You okay?" he asked again, blinking as though he knew that he'd already asked.

"Eggsy?" she asked mindlessly, staring up at him. He only nodded, his equally surprised look matching her own.

When she felt his breath on her lips again, she felt her head moving forward, not even an inch - and she was kissing him.

She pulled her head back quickly, his hand stopping her from hitting the pavement, keeping her eyes closed. What the hell did she think was she doing?

But then she felt his lips on hers again, his hand coming to her cheek. She felt his tongue stroke her bottom lip – but then a large honk and a yell broke the silence as another car whizzed past them, not letting off their horn.

Her eyes shot open. They were breathing heavily again. She glanced at his lips, then back at his eyes, and his pupils widened.

"Uhm, I… I-" she stuttered.

Eggsy blinked, his lips turning into a thin line as he swiftly pulled back, grabbing her hand and pulling her up with him as they stood. He held her hand and kept her close and she only stared at one of the strings on his hoodie. It looked worn, like he bit at it or touched it a lot. She looked down and saw his left hand was bleeding.

"Your hand!" she cried out, grabbing his wrist to look at it closely.

The back of it was scraped up, and the bleeding only looked bad, but they were minor cuts. Minor cuts he got risking his life to save hers – cuts he got by holding her head as they'd rolled, saving her from what could've been major head damage – after he'd jumped in front of a moving car to _save her life_.

He moved his hand to grasp at her wrist and she felt a shiver run down her spine – not the cold kind.

"Ariel," he said softly, his hand tightening around hers.

"Race you home," she said, not looking up at him as she pulled her hand away and started running; this time not playing with him, but actually running from him.

He followed her, staying silent. She didn't look back as they ran through the empty streets, her making the right turns to get back home.

She jogged up her steps, figuring he'd run up his own, but he grasped at her arm as she put her keys in the door. She felt his breath on her neck and couldn't repress another shiver down her spine.

"Ariel…" he said, his voice rough.

She only shook her head, staying silent.

She felt his hands grip her shoulders and she let him turn her around. She caught his gaze, penetrating and heated, and closed her eyes. She felt his fingers tilt her chin up.

"Ariel."

"Leave a message at the-" she gasped when she felt his lips on hers, soft, barely there. Her eyes shot open and she saw Eggsy's closed lids, a small bead of sweat on his temple, but she closed them as she pressed forward, her hand coming up to grasp at his sweatshirt, his hands coming to hold her waist. He slowly walked forward, backing her into her door, pressing his lips against hers harder, making her gasp.

Before she was ready he broke off the kiss, his mouth remaining a breath from hers for a long beat, as though she wasn't the only one knocked completely off guard.

She released her grip on his sweatshirt, her hand dropping. His eyes fluttered open as he pulled back, meeting her gaze. He stared back at her, still standing close.

"Ariel… I-" he started but the sound of screeching tires interrupted him, breaking the silence of the morning around them.

Eggsy turned around and Ariel took in a shuddering breath, blinking her surroundings into focus.

Her eyes widened as she saw Roxy in a grey tweed suit stepping out of a cab – the source of the screeching tires. Roxy looked up at her and Eggsy, still standing close, and frowned. Ariel faltered, confused, just like she was back at the park when Roxy had frowned at Eggsy for showing concern – she'd never gotten the romantic vibe from them…

Ariel took a step around Eggsy, smiling down at Roxy.

"I was right, you're a knockout in one of those," she said quickly, still catching her breath; not from the run but more-so the kisses with Eggsy that left her brain in a scramble and her heart erratically jumping.

Eggsy cleared his throat but said nothing. Roxy only softly smiled at Ariel, shaking her head.

"Too kind, Ariel. But I'm here to drag Eggsy off to work – there's something of an… emergency."

Ariel raised an eyebrow.

"Huh, who knew tailoring could be so exciting?" she asked, chancing a glance at Eggsy, who only looked at the ground. She looked back at Roxy, who had a confused look on her face, which had Ariel frowning.

What the hell was going on?

"Ariel, we'll-" Eggsy started, looking up at her, but Roxy interrupted.

"Ga - Eggsy, we need to go," Roxy said hurriedly.

Eggsy finally turned to face Roxy.

"Give us a second, yeah?" he asked, turning back to Ariel before waiting for an answer. Ariel turned to look at him, and then looked away, not able to keep his gaze.

"I'll be back, okay?" was all he said.

Ariel nodded.

She saw him take a step towards her, coming in close, and she held her breath.

"Don't… don't… I want to-" he stuttered, and she finally met his gaze. His eyes were dark, staring back at her, the look on his face as though he was torn.

"Eggsy," Roxy called out. He sighed, closing his eyes for a beat as he let out a deep breath. He reached forward and enclosed her hand in his good one, squeezing it tight before letting go and taking a step back.

"Wait for me. Don't analyze, over-think… nothin'. Just wait, 'kay?"

She found herself nodding as they stared at each other.

Eggsy's straight mouth broke into a smile as he took another step back, this time a step down her stoop.

"Okay," she said softly, "get that hand looked at," she added.

He nodded and turned, clenching said hand into a fist, but then stopped and turned back to take a step towards her.

"What's your schedule like? Are you workin' this week?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Just the next few days…"

His mouth twitched into a frown and he nodded.

"Eggsy!" Roxy called out again, urgency in her voice.

He blinked again.

"I'm sorry-"

"No, it's okay-"

"Remember what I said, yeah?"

"Yeah," she said softly, and he broke into a smile before he nodded and jogged down her steps, walking briskly towards Roxy and the cab. Roxy raised a hand and waved.

"I'll see you around, Ariel! Have a good morning," she said, getting into the taxi behind Eggsy.

The cab drove off, the engine revving loudly as it sped away, leaving Ariel, breathless on her stoop, wondering what the hell had just happened.

* * *

" _Okay, so you need to take the first pin and-"_

"Believe it or not, Amelia, I've broken into a few things… houses included. I've got this," Eggsy interrupted as he brought the two pins forward forward to Ariel's balcony door lock, moving them around before there was a click, and he slowly opened the door, slipping in and closing it behind him.

It was the next day.

The emergency that had pulled him away from something monumental between Ariel and himself turned out to be quite a big one: the Queen was to make another brigade through the streets of London and Amelia intercepted a secret black market chat board with genuine threats against the Matriarch's life. All of the Kingsman, old and brand new were on the job; Eggsy and Roxy were stationed on a roof with sniper rifles for the ordeal. It turned out it was a bomb scare, which Percival and a new recruit managed to stop just in time.

Yet when Eggsy returned to the tailor shop Merlin was there, reminding him of Ariel. So here he was now, breaking into her place to try to find the rest of her parents research that was in these boxes.

" _Knew there was something about you, the way you took care of Arthur… I need to get you drunk and tell me your life story._ "

Eggsy grinned at Amelia's declaration but stopped when he heard a low growl. He turned and saw Sydney a few feet in front of him, her fur all on end, her tail puffed up and larger than it usually was.

" _Is that a cat?"_

He nodded and bent down to his knees, making kissing noises at Sydney. She still growled but took a step forward, still on edge.

"Hey love," he cooed, his hand forward, rubbing his fingers together, making the kissing noise again. He smiled as he noticed Sydey's fur relax as she finally trotted forward, letting out a meow and rubbing against his outstretched hand. He pet her once or twice, scratching the top of her hand.

"I'm in," he said, standing up and looking around Ariel's empty apartment. He let out a sigh and walked towards her living room, where he knew her parent's boxes still rested.

He looked around and saw that she'd made more progress from what he saw the night she was drunk. There was stuff littered on her coffee table, and the boxes were in two separate piles, post-it's reading "Mom and Dad" or "Dr. & Dr."

" _Try the 'Dr. & Dr.' first._"

He nodded with dread, feeling like an intruder in her flat. Any other time, any other person, he would've felt indifferent breaking in to someone's place. He shook away the reason that Ariel made him feel this way and continued forward. He pulled at the lids of the cardboard box and saw folders and papers, tightly stacked within the space in two columns.

" _Hold on a sec… what's that on the left?_ "

He frowned and reached forward, grabbing the folder and glancing at the title.

"'Modafinil'."

" _That helps battle tiredness… just like their compound,_ " Amelia said, and Eggsy opened the flap of the folder, coming upon diagrams of circles and octagons with lines, which he remembered from a past chemistry class.

" _It's a known drug, for narcolepsy and sleep disorders… this is something, Eggsy, it links to the compound._ "

Eggsy nodded, remembering the characteristics of what the Renzella's had made: increased adrenaline, brain activity triggering faster reflexes, and battling sleeplessness…

" _The next folder, show me what it's labeled as._ "

He reached into the box and brought out a few more folders, fanning them out so he could easily see the labels – as well as Amelia through his glasses.

" _Yes! Eg – Galahad, this is all perfect,_ " Amelia said, and Eggsy frowned at her suddenly using his code-name.

He sighed and refrained from shaking his head.

"Hello, Merlin."

There was a beat of silence.

" _Hello, Galahad. This is quite the find_ ," Merlin said, and Eggsy stood up straight, dropping the folders back into the box.

"It is… but it's not as though I can just take these boxes out of here. How am I-"

He stopped and turned when he heard Sydney meow and run to the front door, rubbing her head against the wood, her tail swishing back and forth.

" _Ignore the cat, Galahad,_ " Merlin's stern voice said but Eggsy shook his head, turning to the box and closing the flaps in a lock as it previously was.

"She's coming," Eggsy whispered and backed away, still watching Sydney rubbing against the front door.

" _Galahad, how can you-_ "

"Fuck!" Eggsy whispered as he heard the jingle of keys and the click of a lock.

" _Oh, shit,_ " Amelia said, but he only turned and ran, swinging open Ariel's back door and closing it behind him with a soft click before stepping up onto the railing on her balcony, finding balance quickly enough before he bent his knees and jumped across, barely missing the railing to his own balcony as he landed and stumbled slightly before slipping into his own place - he always left his backdoor unlocked.

JB let out a small yap as he ran forward, and Eggsy let out a held in breath, shaking his head and smiling as he bent forward to scratch JB's back.

" _That was close,_ " Amelia said.

"What's the next step?" he asked reluctantly as he walked up the stairs of his flat, needing a visit in Harry's study.

" _This is a delicate situation,_ " Merlin said, " _She knows that you know about the boxes, am I safe to assume?_ "

Eggsy stopped on the landing, sighing.

"Yeah."

" _What's her reaction towards her parents?_ "

Eggsy began slowly walking down the hall towards Harry's study.

"Not good," he said, "She's not… their death still sits with her, obviously," he said.

There was a beat of silence and Eggsy still walked, stopping in front of the door, which he kept closed.

" _Wait for instructions in this matter, Galahad,_ " Merlin replied. Then he heard Merlin dismiss Amelia in the background.

Eggsy frowned, waiting…

" _I know that door, Eggsy._ "

He blinked, and took a step back.

" _I know that door, and what's behind it,_ " Merlin continued.

Eggsy stayed silent but moved his head down, staring at the hardwood floor, knowing Merlin was seeing the same thing through his glasses.

" _Did you keep it the same way?_ "

It was almost a whisper. Eggsy nodded.

"I uhm… I moved his covers to fit two sides… to leave room for mine," he said softly.

Merlin didn't reply for a while. Eggsy moved his head to look back at the door.

"Y _ou'll need another room by the time you're finished, Galahad. Have a good night,_ " Merlin said before there was the small beep that signaled the comm on his glasses was disabled.

He took them off and tucked them into his shirt pocket as he opened the door and walked through.

He shrugged off his jacket and put it on the back of the chair at the desk before he sat down, resting his elbows on the desk as he stared at the wall facing him, covered from ceiling to floor with Harry's covers from _The Sun_. He had pinned a couple of his own on the wall behind him. His first even had a picture of Valentine on the cover. The others were gossip about Pippa Middleton, or covering a soccer game, one even had the headline " _UFO Hits Wind Turbine_ ". That was from his first bomb disarming.

"' _It's the nature of Kingsman that our achievements remain secret.'"_ Harry's voice rang in his head. Nobody would know about him, his accomplished missions, who he really was. The gentleman, the hero.

And yet that's the way Ariel looked at him sometimes… even if he was _just_ a tailor, that look would be the same. Especially the way she looked up at him after he tackled her from that car.

He shook his head.

He really was in trouble.

He still couldn't believe he'd just let go and kissed her back, and yet he grinned at the thought, remembering how he was thrown off guard that _she_ was the one who instigated it. Hell, he had meant to run up to his own place after chasing her home, let her think it over and calm down before he could talk to her again. But then he was suddenly climbing her steps after her; and then when he turned her around, her eyes wide, her cheeks flushed, still out of breath – he just had to kiss her again.

He reached forward and opened his laptop, the Kingsman logo blinking on screen as it booted up.

He found himself bringing up Ariel and her parents' files again. He'd read and re-read them so many times that he didn't even read anymore when he brought up her file, he just browsed the pictures.

Sometimes, spending time with her, he just… _forgot_. Forgot that he was a Kingsman, that her parents were killed for a reason, and that reason put her life in danger.

He stared at a picture of her. She had long blonde hair, different from her current red-haired bob, standing between her parents; a picture from the Yale Daily news when her parents had first gotten the job.

But he couldn't do that now. She had her parent's things – the research had to be in those boxes… he'd even found the start of it.

He shut down the laptop and stood up, taking his glasses from his shirt pocket and resting them next to his laptop as he closed it. He grabbed his jacket and left, stopping at the doorway and turning back to look at the covers on the wall.

Whoever was behind her parent's death was coming. Soon.

And he had to be ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

She stared at the boiling water, the spaghetti softening before her eyes as she gave it a soft stir, barely even registering what she was doing.

Two days since their run.

Two days since their… hell, she wasn't even sure what to call it. Eggsy's eyes right there, his face so close… their lips just barely touching… and then definitely touching before the honking car had interrupted. They were lying on the street kissing, after all. Probably not one of her smartest moments.

He'd saved her _life_.

She knew it wasn't just some white knight syndrome she was feeling. Her heart always gave a quick jump at the sight of him, whether she acknowledged it or not - mostly not.

And now she was thinking about it. About him.

But she (somewhat) did as Eggsy asked: she didn't over-analyze it, over-think it. She could only imagine them on the street and then the kisses he gave her on her stoop, replaying in her head over and over again, too many times than she would rather admit.

Later that same night Sydney had pawed at her door and she'd walked forward, coming to her toes to look through the peephole to see Eggsy in a suit standing on her bottom step, apparently back from the 'emergency'. He'd stared up at her door, his hands in his pockets, standing there for a minute or so before he went up his own stoop and disappeared into his place.

They'd run into each other yesterday. She was coming home after a day's work, and he was going out for some work event, he'd explained. He was in a three piece pinstripe, a knockout as ever, and his face lit up at the sight of her which threw her off kilter. He was acting almost the same, but she could feel something more as they looked at each other.

In reverse of the usual, Eggsy told her to go get some sleep as opposed to her telling him. And in the same manner, she straightened, bringing her hand to her forehead in a salute, saying "Yes sir!".

His last smile at her before he climbed into the cab was still playing repeat in her mind when she thought she heard the sound of her door opening.

She stopped, but then shook her head.

She'd locked all her locks.

She continued stirring the spaghetti and was checking the sauce when she heard the slide of a box against her hardwood floor. She stood still, the sound of the boiling water of pasta filling the silence.

But it wasn't loud enough to hide the sound of a heavy boot coming down upon her hardwood floor.

Her heart stopped and she gasped, holding her breath.

_Someone was breaking in._

She dropped to her knees, turning off the stove before she crawled out to peek around the counter and look down the hall towards her front door. The sight she saw stopped her heart, confirming her suspicion; but not her worst. It wasn't Mikey… but something just as dangerous.

Three men, all holding rifles, all dressed in black and donned with ski masks stood in her hall. The man in the middle tapped the shoulder of the one to his left and he moved to the living room. Then he pointed at her stairs and the other man went up on his tiptoes as he climbed the steps, barely making any sound.

She pulled back, trying to stay silent, trying to keep her breathing quiet even though her chest was hurting her heart was beating so quickly. She looked around her kitchen and then moved, crawling around to the other side of the island, coming up to her knees to look for her wooden knife holder. She grabbed two knives, one short but she knew was her sharpest, the other long and just as sharp.

These men acted almost military, and the way they crept around, the fact that they managed to open her door expertly… these men weren't with Mikey. She crawled around the island again, coming to the furthest side, right near her balcony door.

She crouched, barely breathing, just waiting.

She couldn't go out the back – it was quite a height to drop down from her balcony – and she knew she didn't have the capacity to jump from balcony to balcony that Eggsy had.

She was trapped. She'd have to fight.

She heard one of the men come down her stairs, his boots making barely any sound.

"Clear," a voice said, and she tensed.

This wasn't just a normal home invasion… what the hell was happening?

She closed her eyes tight and counted to five, trying to calm her heart, and opened her eyes just as she heard a second voice say "Clear."

"Kitchen," the third voice said, and she heard the soft thuds of the boots hitting the hardwood floor coming towards her. She heard them from both sides, but the kitchen was big; two on her left and only one on her right from her position at the island.

She took another breath, channeling Syndey Bristow, Natasha Romanoff, Sarah Walker, Nikkita even, as she waited with bated breath, her knives raised and ready to strike… she wasn't going down without a fight.

She wasn't a victim anymore.

The second she saw the first foot cross her path she struck out with the long knife, stabbing him right in the toes, the blade sticking in the hardwood floor.

There was a loud shout and a string of bullets pierced the air, sounding compressed.

She blinked at the sound as the second foot came in front of her. She sliced their heel with her other knife, wincing as she did so, knowing that it was the most painful of wounds.

The man fell and she cried out, then cried out again when she was grabbed from behind, an arm coming around her throat and pulling her upright. She brought a hand up to tuck under the arm, so he wouldn't be able to suffocate her, and with her other hand she reached for his pinky, knowing it would break easily enough if she pulled; those self defense classes paid off more than she thought they would.

However he grabbed at her other hand, his breath hot on her neck, making her wince and recoil.

"Huckaby, status?" the last man standing asked, walking around the man writhing on the floor with a cut heel and a knife still in his foot. The man on the ground only groaned and let out a string of curses. The man who spoke looked up at whoever was holding her and nodded, his dark eyes behind the ski mask moving to meet her gaze.

"About damn time," he said with conviction.

She gasped and writhed around more, trying to escape, but one hand was held behind her back by her captor and the other refrained her from completely choking as the man drew his arm tighter around her throat. She gasped again, moving her hand closer to the front of her neck.

She watched as the other man turned and bent down to assess the first man, still writhing and cursing on the floor.

An idea hit her, and she squared up. She knew it was a probable failure, but she'd seen it work once or twice in the movies; she had to at least try. She still had a bit of a fight in her, even if her breathing was shorter than usual.

She gave a soft jump as she lifted her legs, bringing them to her chest and then kicking out, giving out a yell. Her feet hit the man in the chest and he grunted and fell back, sliding on the floor.

"Fucking bitch!" the man holding her said, pulling her back as her feet hit the floor. She let out another yell, using the floor to jump harder as she brought her knees to her chest, the man's arm cutting on her throat so much that her breath left her, but she then kicked out her legs again, trying her best to throw the rest of her weight with her as she brought her legs down.

So it didn't work like in the movies - shocker - but it had some effect. The man did lose his balance and go over her back, but she didn't have the strength to fully flip him over so instead he fell sideways, bringing her down with him.

But his grip around her neck and arm had loosened and she threw out her elbow, hitting the man's face. She heard another shout but ignored it as she scrambled to gain her footing and ran around her kitchen island and down the hall.

She heard more compressed shots and cried out again, jumping around, her path erratic, keeping her head down as she heard and even felt the air pressure of the bullets that fired around her. She was almost at her front door before it was thrown open, banging against the back wall.

Eggsy rushed through, holding an odd looking handgun.

She stopped, looking up at him, her mouth agape.

He quickly glanced at her and then raised his gun – pointing it towards her as he pulled the trigger. She cried out as she felt the bullet whiz past her and she turned her head just in time to see the one man she hadn't fought yell out, his body turning from the impact of the bullet as he fell down.

"Ariel! Get down, now!" he yelled.

She blinked, dazed, turning back to Eggsy, wondering what the hell-

A sharp pain pierced through her arm and she cried out. She heard another compressed shot and watched as Eggsy jumped sideways, raising his gun towards her again.

"Ariel, I can't – for fucks sake get _down_!" he said as he pulled the trigger, the bullet whizzing past her. This time she didn't bother to turn and see who'd he hit and instead ducked to the floor, rolling into her living room, yelling through the pain in her arm, closing her eyes tight.

She heard Eggsy run further down the hall and she scrambled to her hands and knees, crawling towards the doorway to peek through.

It seemed Eggsy had ditched his gun and was taking on the two men by hand. The man she'd cut was still on the floor, but dragging himself away, and the leg she'd cut the heel of completely limp, his other leg using the floor for leverage.

She turned to look up at Eggsy fighting and could only watch in a daze, his arms moving as quickly as the bullets he'd fired, moving back and forth between the men, giving out a kick here and there to keep one man away as he took on the other.

He got the upper hand with one of them, grabbing their arm that threw a punch and bringing it behind his back in an awkward angle, kicking at his knees. With the better angle Eggsy kicked at the arm he held and Ariel closed her eyes, wincing as she heard a pop and another yell… but then she heard a snap, so quick, so swift; she wasn't even sure if it'd happened.

She opened her eyes in time to see the man whose shoulder Eggsy had clearly dislocated fall limp the floor, unmoving.

Ariel gasped – holy shit did Eggsy just – but she had no time to comprehend as the other man let out a rather loud and guttural yell and threw himself at Eggsy, the both of them tumbling towards the wall.

They moved down the hall closer to her, exchanging punches and kicks happening so quickly she didn't even know where to look. But she saw the push kick that Eggsy gave the other man, and he flew in the air towards her. She turned away in time as Eggsy gave the man another punch, an uppercut, and then another kick, the man stumbling back, crashing into her coffee table and banging his head on the corner.

He moaned, but he was still moving.

Ariel turned to look up at Eggsy but he was gone – maybe to get to the other man?

She heard a moan and she crawled forward on her hands and knees, making sure to keep a wide berth as she grabbed a candle with a glass holder on her coffee table and came to her knees, bringing her hand up to use all her weight as she brought it down on the man's head, the glass shattering from the impact.

She winced as she pulled her hand back, feeling and seeing the cuts on her hand – even a small piece of glass wedged in her skin and she blinked, somewhat dazed.

She heard Eggsy call her name before the man reached for her ears and pulled her head down on the coffee table, banging her forehead against the surface. She pulled back, trying to blink away the daze and the pain, a ringing in her ears; the corners of her vision getting blurry, but she felt a hand around her throat, holding it tight – her breath completely cut off. Her hands shot up, clawing at the hand holding her.

She heard another shout and looked over to see Eggsy run forward, grabbing the man's legs and pulling him away, the man's grasp finally letting go of her neck as he slid on the floor. She gasped and brought her hands to her neck, regaining her breathing as she watched Eggsy kneel down on top of the man, throwing punch after punch. The sound of knuckles on flesh… even the squish of blood flying from the man's mouth filled the silence.

"Eggsy?" she barely whispered.

She heard another shout and looked up to see two more people enter her flat – her door was wide open for fucks sake – guns drawn.

They were both in suits; a man and woman -was that Roxy?!- entered, scoping the area first, holding their guns just as Eggsy did, arms taught, both hands on their weapons. Professional. Clean.

And then Roxy… she was now, even in her dazed state, _sure_ that it was Roxy, shouted out as she walked towards them.

"Galahad!"

Eggsy kept punching the man on the floor who was no longer moving.

The remaining man in a suit, wearing horn-rimmed glasses, came forward and expertly caught one of Eggsy's hands as he raised it, ready to throw another punch.

"Galahad, stand down, _now_ ," the man said sternly and loudly.

"We need him alive," Roxy said.

Ariel frowned, bringing a hand to her head as though it would help.

"Eggsy?" she said.

Roxy came forward and knelt in front of her, blocking her vision of him as her hands came up and touched her face, looking in her eyes, feeling the pulse at her neck.

"She's in shock."

"'Galahad?'" Ariel asked. That's what they called him.

She blinked, her eyes feeling heavy as she looked up at Eggsy who was now standing next to the other man. His hair was mussed and there was blood on his shirt, on his hands, even a few flecks on his face. He was breathing heavily, looking down at the man he had just been attacking.

Her blurred vision intensified.

"Galahad…" she repeated, "Or Eggsy?"

"Ariel…"

She shook her head.

"Who are you?" she asked, staring up at him. The last thing she saw before the blackness overtook her.

* * *

He walked forward when she passed out, pushing past Roxy to kneel down next to her.

"Galahad, this will be the only time I say so and I will probably regret it," Merlin started, and he looked over his shoulder to meet his gaze, "but good job on ignoring direct orders and coming in alone."

Eggsy nodded and looked back down at Ariel, flinching at the amount of blood on her - wether it was her own or someone else's. The wound on her arm was bleeding out, the red seeping into the sleeve of her shirt, and her hand was dripping blood but not as profusely as her arm.

He _had_ ignored direct orders, as Merlin said.

He'd turned the corner on their street only minutes before, deciding to walk home to help clear his mind and think over kiss just two days ago.

What it meant to the two of them; him lying to her but still having developed something despite the multiple warnings from his colleagues - and Merlin. He wanted to know what she thought of them – and if he could even try to dissuade her. Realistically it could never happen...

He was planning to go right to her place when he'd turned the corner on the street in time to see the last man in all black armed with a rifle slip through her door before closing it. He'd called Merlin right away, jumping up to the landing on her stoop, fighting his instinct to rush through and help her as he listened to Merlin order him to stand down and wait for back-up.

But then he'd heard her cries and the soft thuds of silenced bullets and forgot it all, bursting through the door to get to her, leaving his phone on the floor.

"We monitored and intercepted any phone calls reporting the incident, we shouldn't have any trouble," Merlin continued as Eggsy reached forward and ripped at the sleeve of Ariel's shirt, tying it off tightly on her arm above the bleeding wound.

"Lancelot, are we clear?"

"We're clear, Merlin. Galahad did the job," Roxy said hesitantly as she looked at the man, now unconscious from Eggsy's beating.

"We have no choice but to bring her in – it's not viable to watch over her in a hospital, it would only raise questions with the bullet wound. The Cleaning Crew will be here in a moment-" Merlin said, and sure enough there was the squeal of tires heard through the open door, "- to take her in."

"I've got it," Eggsy said, shrugging off his suit jacket, letting it fall to the floor.

"Galahad-" Roxy started, but he only shook his head.

"I've got it," he repeated sternly and he reached under Ariel's limp body, standing up as he lifted her, tucking her against his chest.

He was at the front door when two fellow agents rushed through. One of them took her from him and he let her go reluctantly.

"She was shot, the bullet grazed I think, but she hit her head pretty hard," he muttered. They only nodded and rushed out the door, carrying her limp body away.

Eggsy heard a distraught yowl and turned his head, looking around for the origin.

"Sydney?" he called out, following the sound.

He found her in the bathroom, hiding in the shower, her fur on end as she stood in the corner hissing and spitting. He knelt down and made kissing noises, rubbing the pads of his fingers together, and Sydney meowed, her fur relaxing as she walked over and rubbed on his hand. She started purring when he picked her up and walked out back into the hall.

Roxy's eyes bulged out of her head when she saw who he was carrying.

"Is that a cat?"

Eggsy nodded.

"We can have someone care for… that… while Ariel recovers. We'll have to debrief her," he heard Merlin say.

Eggsy stopped and found himself holding Sydney tighter to his chest.

"She can stay at my place with JB until Ariel comes back," he said and without waiting for an answer he left, jumping over the railing and entering his flat, JB barking, excited by the new guest. He let Sydney down and she rubbed her head against JB's before trotting away, his dog following her.

He closed his eyes, his hands curling into fists as he took in a deep breath.

He knew eventually that Ariel would find out about him, about everything else – it was always unlikely they would be able to take care of the 'situation' without getting her involved. She was the link, after all.

"Eggsy," he heard Roxy say his name from behind.

He took another deep breath and turned to face her, watching her as she stood in his doorway.

"She'll understand," she said softly.

He shook his head, stepping forward.

He knew she was just trying to reassure him, and he was glad that she was being just Roxy and not Lancelot, as she always was when it came to him and Ariel.

Roxy stepped back and he closed his front door, locking it. They stood on his stoop, watching the commotion on the street; agents flitting back and forth from Ariel's flat, Merlin standing on the sidewalk with his arms crossed, viewing the chaos with inquisitive eyes.

"Who can understand any of _this_?" he asked.

Roxy didn't give him an answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

The first thing she heard when she came to was the sound of an insistent beeping in a steady rhythm.

She tried to open her eyes but they felt so heavy… and instead she groaned.

She heard her name called out softly. She recognized the voice and groaned again as she fought to open her eyes, blinking slowly.

They opened to Eggsy leaning over her and something flooded through her body. She heard the beeping increase in tempo and she furrowed her eyebrows. He was looking down at her and she felt his hand come up to cup her cheek as he bent down, touching his forehead to hers.

"Eggsy?" she asked breathlessly staring into his eyes so closely, now confused. She heard the beeping tempo increase even more and he pulled back and sandwiched one of her hands between his.

"How ya feelin'?"

She shook her head and moved to sit up, wanting to know what happened, why was he there, but her body felt so heavy and sore; and that damn beeping, where was it coming from?

"Eggsy… where am… what's happening…" she croaked, her throat dry, her mind spinning. This had to be a dream. It was all just a bad dream…

She heard a door swing open and looked up to find a man and a woman coming through.

Oddly enough, they were familiar faces, and the tempo of the beeping quickened even more. She felt faint, her body light, and her mind was racing so much it almost hurt. She just… hurt. Everywhere.

"Ariel, Ariel!" Roxy said, stepping forward to her bed. She blinked up at her.

Who was she?! Why was she there…

"What the fuck!" Ariel cried out, her eyes blurring with tears before they spilled down her face. Nothing made sense.

"Applying another round of sedative," she heard a male voice say.

Roxy was gone and it was Eggsy above her again as the corners of her eyes turned black, slowly taking over her vision. She thought she felt the soft brush of his hand on her cheek, tracing over her scar, but she wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"It's okay. It's gonna be okay," he said, his voice fading away.

She welcomed the blackness.

* * * * * *

He watched with clenched fists as her eyes flittered closed, her heartbeat returning to normal; she was out. He let out a breath and stepped back, keeping his head down. He knew that Merlin and Roxy were looking at him.

"The man we took alive wants to talk to you. Refuses to speak to anyone else," Merlin said.

He looked up, frowning. Why him specifically?

"They were monitoring Ariel. Tech noticed that a place across the street had boarded windows, we raided and found their base," Roxy said slowly, "There was…" she cleared her throat, shaking her head "there were photos…"

His heart skipped a beat. That meant he was being monitored as well - and Ariel...

"Do we know who it is, then?" he asked, turning to look at Ariel sleeping, his eyes flitting over her body, the bandage on her arm where she was grazed by the bullet, and the IV needle embedded in her skin. He looked at her heart rate machine and watched the line move jaggedly, in sync with the beeps echoing in the room.

He turned back to them and Roxy shook her head.

"Nothing was found to lead us to who they are, or even if they were hired. Their computers and fingerprints were all cleaned, but there was evidence of a fourth man. Probably the one that cleaned base and got away in time," she said.

"Which is why you're going to interrogate the remaining man," Merlin finished.

"Well, let's get to it, then," Eggsy said. Merlin nodded and led the way out of the room, Eggsy giving the sleeping Ariel a final glance before following them.

"He's American as well – we think that means this is all coming in from across the pond but it's only speculation," Merlin started as they walked through the hall, "Can't quite place the accent, but somewhere in the South I think, it has a certain… twang. But he's definitely military or from an agency; he laughed through our first round of enhanced interrogation."

Eggsy tightened his jaw as he nodded. He'd only done an interrogation once before, but it was a simple one; the man was scared and wanted to live so he gave up easily before Eggsy had to go to any extremes.

This one would be different, however. In a room, no weapons for leverage…

"They've been watching her, which means they've been watching you. He will use that to his advantage. Glasses on," Merlin said. Eggsy reached into his pocket and slipped them on.

"Amelia will feed any questions we want to ask," Roxy said as they turned a corner and slowed, coming to a holding room.

"Don't reveal anything, don't show any emotion. Hold the upper hand, keep control of the conversation," Merlin finished.

Eggsy nodded.

"Hold the upper hand, keep control of the conversation," Eggsy repeated, mimicking Harry's accent – not as rough as his own.

Merlin and Roxy nodded, Roxy furrowing her eyebrows.

"I've got this," he said, mimicking Harry's accent still before he pushed the door open and walked through, closing it behind him.

He turned to the man and tried not to react smugly. He had a large bandage on his nose, and Eggsy had also messed up one of his eyes; it was swollen shut. There was a bandage around his arm and chest, where he'd shot him during that fleeting moment of bursting through the door and seeing Ariel in front of him, the man behind her raising her gun. He'd pulled the trigger without a second thought; however with Ariel standing there he didn't have the aim to get at the man's heart and instead got him in his shoulder.

The man only grinned as he watched Eggsy sit down across from him. The man had his hands bound behind him, and his legs were chained to the legs of the chair. He shifted in his seat, the sound of the chains clinking filling the silence as he moved his head side to side, cracking his neck.

"You're a good shot."

Eggsy only shrugged.

"I try."

"Did you help train her? The bitch got one of my men, cut him right at his ankle. A cut like that, man doesn't walk for months - but then again, you made sure he's not gonna do anything ever again. Managed to take one of my best men down, even got me for a second there…"

Eggsy kept his face impassive but in his head he gave kudos to Ariel. He wasn't surprised that she'd managed to fight off such a big man as Mikey.

"She has no affiliation with us, which I'm sure you know. She's just smart. Like her parents, who you killed," he said, focusing on pronouncing his h's, t's, and a's the right way.

The man stayed silent.

"You're in it for their work, right? It was stolen when they were killed; however that was only a part of it. What makes you think their daughter has the rest of it?"

The man still stayed silent, but tilted his head.

"Heard they died in a car accident."

Eggsy shook his head.

"Well, that's a first; a car accident involving bullets in the head."

"Almost put a bullet in her head. I wanted to, trust me. But those legs, I tell you. In those tight skirts she wears at work…" he shook his head and whistled, then looked back up at him, "How's her arm?"

"Ah… so you wanted to kill her but couldn't," Eggsy said, ignoring the teasing but tensing up when he described her work attire. Had he been to the gallery?

The man tensed up himself at the question, his eyebrow twitching.

' _Why now?_ ' green text flashed in the corner of his glasses, and he titled his head.

"Why now? In broad daylight, nonetheless? And you had to have known I was next door," he lied, "why choose today to attempt to take her? Was your employer getting impatient? Or was it your C.O.? We know you're military."

The man stayed rock still, but he noticed a small twitch on the man's eyebrow.

Eggsy almost grinned.

"Maybe you're the C.O. then…" he faded off, but the man stayed still, his face back under control; a stone. He wasn't even blinking.

Eggsy frowned, and decided to use a different path.

"Somewhat genius, renting a place across the street; I didn't even notice any movers or anything of the like. How long were you and your team there? And we know there was four of you – evidence pointed to that fact when we raided your place. Who knows where the last man, or woman, could be," Eggsy continued, trying to keep his 'posh' accent, watching his wording and vowels.

The man stayed neutral, just as Eggsy did. He hoped for something in his glasses, but nothing came.

He let out a breath.

"Well, you wanted to speak to only me, so… let's talk," he said, leaning forward in the chair to rest his elbows on the table, "Firstly, there was the reckless attempt at kidnap, and secondly, why-"

"You fucked her, eh? Saw you coming out in the mornings, lover-boy," the man interrupted.

Eggsy stopped, and tightened his jaw.

"And secondly," he repeated through his gritted teeth, "why you were attempting to kidnap her in the first place-"

"Tell me, does she like it rough like her old boyfriend? We all wondered about it; a bruise here, black eye there-"

He didn't know what happened but one moment he was sitting there, staring at the man's sneering grin, and the next he was out of his chair and his fist was making contact with the man's already wrecked nose. The crunch of bones re-breaking echoed in the small room amongst the man's shout.

' _LEAVE NOW_ ,' flashed on his lenses as he brought his hand back, shaking it out. He still had slight bruises from the first time he messed up the man's face.

He took a step back. The man continued talking, even laughing, but Eggsy blocked it out as he left.

He slammed the door behind him, breathing heavily, and tore the glasses from his head, trying to catch his breath.

He sighed in defeat, resting his head back against the metal door. Seems that the man had got to him after all… maybe he really wasn't cut out for interrogation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

The next time she came to, she didn't feel as heavy.

She blinked, her eyes opening easily, but then flinching when she realized she was in the same room as before. Wasn't a bad dream after all.

She was on a bed, and the beeping was her heart linked to an EKG - but she wasn't at a hospital.

It was too silent, for one. She was alone in a rather large room, secondly. And the rest… it was the metal framing, the fact that there was a large mirror on one wall – one that looked like a one way mirror from an interrogation room (the light was bright in the room but didn't reflect the same way on the glass). There were multiple hospital like trays and drawers all on wheels, but there was a leather arm chair, currently empty, next to her bed. And then there was the food tray on a cart near her bed that had a small vase with a sunflower in it. Hospitals definitely didn't deal with flowers in such an intimate way.

She couldn't help but smile at the sight of it and reached forward, her brow furrowing in the pain as she lifted her arm – but she was able to grab the stem and lift it from the vase, bringing it to her face to smell. She never really smelt anything from sunflowers, but she loved the soft feeling of her nose in the middle of it, the bright yellow colors of the petals hugging her face.

Suddenly her mind was flushed with memories, as though a switch had flipped in her brain.

Men intruding in her home; she fought them off but then Eggsy… Eggsy burst through her door with a _gun_ ; shooting at the men, telling her to roll… she was shot then – the pain in her arm pierced through her mind and body… Eggsy sitting on top of one of the men he'd kept alive, throwing punch after punch. The people in suits coming in, Roxy being one of them, stopping Eggsy and making sure she was okay…

She threw off the covers, ignoring the pain in her arm that was holding the flower as she turned and slid off the bed, moving slowly with the IV tube still in her arm. She shivered at the cold floor on her bare feet and balked at the air she felt on her behind and looked over her shoulder at her hospital gown, open at her back. She went to the EKG first, turning it off and disarming the small switches on her chest, leaving the 'sticker's' that they linked to on her skin. She then looked around and found a black robe hooked on the wall; she slowly walked over, bringing the small stand on wheels that held her IV bag with her, using it as support. Her legs were feeling faint but with each step she felt them getting steadier. She winced as she took out her IV before she took the robe off the hook and slipped it on, closing it over her body and tying the sash.

She pocketed the sunflower in the robe for a small sliver of comfort, and looked over to the mirrored window, figuring that if anyone was on the other side they would've come into her room to put her back to bed by now.

But she couldn't stay still. She needed answers. Eggsy – or was it Galahad – was part of something big. The way he came barging into her house, he _killed_ those men, maybe leaving one alive after beating him to a pulp right in front of her.

And the suits… what was with the _suits_?

She pushed through the door, looking back and forth through the empty hall. She started walking slowly, her legs still unsteady; she went to the wall and ran her hand along it for support as she walked down the ominous hall, all concrete and metal barring and florescent lights.

She looked for clues for where the hell she might be as she walked, but there were only other rooms just like hers, with the same doors, no signs, room numbers; nothing.

She turned a corner and heard a soft yelling in the distance, echoing to her. She frowned and walked forward, using the wall for support, the yells growing louder.

"You let him get to you, Galahad!"

She gasped at the name – they called Eggsy that – and she quickened her pace, coming to a doorway. Instead of peeking through she listened, leaning against the wall.

"You heard what that man said about-" she heard Eggsy start, but the yeller interrupted him.

"You've gotten personal!"

She frowned. What was going on? The way the man yelled that word, 'personal', as though it was a crime…

"You had one simple task, Galahad. But you let feelings get in the way. You ignored orders, you beat that man within an inch of his life, and then you broke during interrogation… _You. Got. Personal_!" the man's voice rose even higher.

What the hell?

"Well of course I did, Merlin! And wasn't it just the other day you were sayin' good call for ignorin' orders in the first place?" Eggsy yelled. At that Ariel decided to step forward, leaning in the doorway, her legs still feeling shaky. She wanted to see what was happening.

The room in front of her was lavish; as though in a different world from the cold concrete hall she was standing in. It was lined with dark green embossed wallpaper, wood accents on the walls and ceiling, with old-fashioned lights. There was a large table in the middle, where Roxy sat next to a woman she had never seen before. Then there was a man standing at the head of the table – who she presumed was the one yelling – but she recognized the face in her flat, telling Eggsy to stand down. He was facing her but looking at Eggsy, who was standing at the other head of the table, his back to her.

"She's… you don't even _know_... she's shy and reserved but once she gets talkin'… some random thing comes up and she just blurts out some facts - she's a bloody genius! And she was nice to my mum and Daisy – yeah, she met them – they were waitin' for me on my stoop and she invited them into her flat… _invited them into her home_ : complete strangers! She plays video-games and fuckin' _bakes_ ; she even named her cat after her favorite spy. She's been hurt, destroyed, even abandoned, but she barely shows it; she's a fighter, too… you heard what the prisoner said, stabbed a man in the foot, even cut his fuckin' heel!? She made it easy for me to finish him off… one of the other men had a bloody nose even, I mean… Christ…" Eggsy faded off, getting flustered.

Ariel could only stand and stare at his back, his hands now gripping the chair in front of him tightly, his head shaking as he yelled. He wasn't in a suit but rather in sweats and a black shirt, a shirt she predicted had a logo - the logo she'd seen him wear before on the sleeve; a logo that she now knew had a deeper meaning.

She looked back over to the women sitting at the table and blinked when she saw that Roxy was staring back at her, mouth agape, eyes wide.

"I watched over her, I got to know her. And when those men attacked, I got to her in time; even kept one alive for useless interrogation," Eggsy said, his voice calming down, "No matta what else happened in between, I did my job."

Ariel couldn't hold in her gasp.

Everyone in the room fell silent. Eggsy turned, looking confused at first but the moment his eyes met hers they grew wide.

"Ariel-"

"Job?" she whispered, taking a step back, her mind working overtime.

 _Personal_ as though it was a curse-word.

_'She bakes, she named her cat after her favorite spy'..._

He was talking about _her_.

 _She_ was the job.

_'Watch over her, got to know her.'_

Eggsy was there to watch over her… his job, that's what she was.

He was pretending all along.

She always doubted in the back of her mind that he was just simply a tailor.

It all made sense now: his odd hours and absences, coming to her before and after he left. The more she thought about it… it was him always coming to her place, 'checking' on her.

The only time she'd been to his place was when Michelle had dragged her in, chasing after Daisy. When he saw her, he'd frowned for a split second and she thought it was her inserting herself into his life, but no: she was mixing his _job_ with the 'personal'.

And whenever she made jokes about spies or anything of the sort, his reactions always so shocked... He was hiding the whole time.

God, she was an idiot.

"Ariel," Eggsy said, suddenly in front of her, his arm reaching toward her, "Ariel, you gotta understand-"

"Oh, I understand perfectly," she said tightly, cutting him off as she took a step back, pulling away from his grasp.

He was lying the whole time. Everything between them was a _lie_ …

"Ms. Renzella, you should be in bed," the man, now no longer yelling, said as he walked up behind Eggsy, whose shoulders tensed.

She shook her head, ignoring him as she continued to stare at Eggsy.

"You didn't do your job, Eggsy… Galahad… whoever the fuck you are," she said as she blinked her blurry eyes away and wiped at her tears before they fell.

"You didn't protect me from _this_."

He looked hopeless as he took a step forward, reaching for her again, but she stepped away from his touch, shaking her head.

"Ariel, why don't we get you back to bed?" Roxy said, pushing her way through the others to stand in front of her, smiling apprehensively. Ariel blinked, still thrown at the sight of what she thought was just another tailor standing in front of her – obviously _not_ a tailor.

"You need more rest, Ariel," Roxy continued, stepping closer. Ariel shook her head, but her head felt light, her vision blurring momentarily. She groaned and felt her legs get weak again and she took another shaky step back, her arm coming out to lean on the wall. "It'll be alright, Ariel," Roxy said as she tucked an arm around her waist and led her down the hall.

In too much of a daze to really protest, Ariel could only mumble unintelligibly: ask about Eggsy, and Roxy, and the other woman… even about the man with the glasses that stared down at her as though she was a problem. The way he yelled at Eggsy - the way Eggsy yelled back…

The job.

Her: the job.

Before she knew it she was sobbing as she walked, Roxy whispering comfortingly to her, telling her she would be okay, that she would find out everything soon enough and that she just needed to rest.

Before she knew it she was being soflty pushed back onto the bed she had escaped earlier, her head feeling heavy again. She felt pressure in her arm, the IV being reattached.

"Ariel," she heard Eggsy say, but she shook her head as she felt more tears blur her eyes.

"Your _job_ …" was all she could get out before she blacked out – yet again.

* * *

Her eyes closed and she fell limp as Roxy reached forward and re-connected the cords of the EKG, the calm tempo of beeps connected to her heartbeat filling the silence of the room.

Roxy left without a word; leaving Eggsy, Merlin, and the unconscious Ariel alone.

Merlin opened his mouth but Eggsy spoke first with determination.

"I'm stayin' with her."

Merlin brought his mouth closed to a thin line, his eyebrow twitching.

"You can," he said.

"What?" Eggsy asked, ready to fight him on it, even if it was Merlin…

"I said, you can. You can stay. You have a lot to prepare for. From what I recall, this has rarely been done – bringing in a civilian. But our hands were tied, and she is an asset after all, we have a better chance of keeping her safe here than at a hospital. Even though you breached protocol, she will need a… familiar face to help her through this transition of learning the truth."

Eggsy only nodded, Merlin doing the same.

"However you'll wear these at all times until I tell you otherwise. You can tuck them in your shirt, in your pocket, but they're to be on you at all times. I require it," Merlin continued, holding out a pair of glasses. Eggsy stared down at them before silently taking them, tucking them into the neck of his t-shirt. Would he ever have a private moment with Ariel again?

"That is all," Merlin said before he left.

As soon as the door closed Eggsy sat on the leather armchair, holding his head in his hands, listening to the constant beep of her heart monitor.

He wondered if Harry had ever hated a mission, ever resented doing something in the name of the job.

He clenched his eyes tight, shaking his head.

He wondered if Harry had ever messed up as much as he had.

He felt the same as he did in the driver's seat of Rottweiler's car - staring at the police cruiser in front of him as the busted street light still emitted sparks onto the hood, his friends Lee and Jamal telling him he should've just killed the fox he couldn't bring himself to run over – hopeless: pure and utter hopelessness.

Back then, he knew what to do: telling his friends who still had hope for a semblance of a life to run before switching the gear to drive and slamming his foot on the gas, knowing there was no other way.

But being here with Ariel now, the way she had looked at him, crying, hopeless just like had felt… he didn't know what to do, and even worse, how to fix it.

He took in a deep shuddering breath and opened his eyes.

He looked over at Ariel and moved the plush leather armchair closer to her bed, stretching out his legs to rest his feet next to hers on the hospital bed, clasping his hands together over his stomach. He watched over the sleeping Ariel for a while, wondering what the hell was going to happen with them – he knew this would change a lot. The look on her face before she passed out again said enough, but he wasn't willing to give up. Not with them.

That singular thought was circling his mind as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes. Sleep overpowered him quickly.

He heard Ariel calling his name in his light slumber and his eyes shot open, blinking at the bright lights.

"Eggsy?" Ariel said softly, her voice sounding dry.

He turned to look at her and smiled when he saw that she was awake.

She shifted her legs and he felt her feet move against his. He pulled his legs back, bringing his feet to the ground as he stood up and leant forward over her.

She looked up at him, her face blank, not showing anything. Nothing in her eyes, in her lips… she usually showed _something_ even when she tried to hide it: biting her lip when she was deep in thought, a quiver of her eyebrows before she talked about a random fact, and even the way she looked at him before... it was all gone. She was a clean slate, a neutral face.

He blinked when he heard the tempo of the beeps on her heart monitor quicken in pace. Well, _that_ was something…

"Turn it off," she whispered, shaking her head.

He nodded and turned towards the monitor, looking for a button or something. He gave up and just reached behind and jerked at the power cord, the screen falling black, the beeps stopping and leaving them in silence.

He let out a breath and sank back onto the chair, staring up at her.

She frowned down at him.

"Ariel, I dunno where to start."

"Start somewhere, I'm waiting," she said tightly, looking away.

He looked up at her, the hopeless feeling coming back. He stood up and shook his head as he paced the length of the room, her eyes following him. He hated how she looked at him, her face so blank and her eyes telling him nothing. Desperately, he tried to think of a joke to crack, just to see if her face would change, if she would at least look angry, yell at him, _something_ … but nothing came to mind.

"You were never a _job_ to me, Ariel," he said and she blinked, flinching at the word. He sighed and continued, "But then it did happen… it happened _after_ I met you… and even though it was somethin' I had to do – gettin' to know you – I barely even thought about it," he said, telling the truth.

Merlin would always ask him to report when he came in and sometimes he found himself doing a double take, realizing Merlin was asking about Ariel and not some other mission. And he never had anything to say. He didn't have anything he _wanted_ to say about her.

"Barely," she muttered, her voice cracking.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Barely doesn't mean completely. You thought of me as a job, just not all of the time," she said, clearing her throat. Eggsy looked around and found an abandoned food tray to the side, holding an untouched glass of water with an equally untouched plate of food. He noticed the sunflower he'd asked Amelia to arrange was gone from its vase.

He brought the glass of water forward and she took it, gulping it down, finishing it.

"When it… mattered," he started, "There's more to this… I can't tell you – yet, but you'll understand soon," he said, yet he only hoped. At least he had that to cling to. He wasn't sure what he could disclose or not disclose, as Merlin never told him. So he had to stay silent; he couldn't tell her everything she wanted to know yet, or even what he wanted to tell.

She looked down at the empty glass she held for a beat, and then turned up at him, as though waiting for something. He watched her eyes move around his face and then down to his shirt, her gaze zeroing in on the glasses tucked into the neck.

"You never needed glasses…" she muttered, and before he could react she reached forward and grabbed them off of his shirt.

*****

She looked at the glasses before she turned them around in her hands, bringing them up to put on her face, curious to see how bad Eggsy's eyesight was. She usually could notice when people wore contacts… maybe they were his reading glasses.

But she frowned when she didn't notice a change in her vision. What she did see was green text in the top and bottom but it all vanished before she could even begin to read it.

She blinked in awe.

These lenses weren't for eyesight… they didn't distort her vision… they were for _information_. Probably to give and receive, maybe even sound and video enabled. A plain sight wire to record confessions, take pictures: it was genius.

She turned to Eggsy, still wearing the glasses. He had sat back down and was staring up at her again.

"Impressive tech. How do they get the projections to not reflect back on the skin?"

' _Magic.'_

The word appeared on the lens, right in front of her eyes…

She couldn't help but laugh as the text disappeared after another second.

She focused her gaze on Eggsy again, who was looking up at her apprehensively. She shook her head and held up a hand to stop him as she looked up at the ceiling.

"Oh mighty one behind the glasses, would it be possible if this loon and I had a private conversation?" she asked.

It only took a moment before the reply flashed in front of her eyes.

' _Of course.'_

She nodded, taking off the glasses as she looked over at Eggsy and held them out. He took them, frowning.

"They've got a microphone as well," he barely whispered.

She grinned, shaking her head.

"What do you take me for, an idiot? Of course they have a microphone. Either throw 'em out into the hall or stuff them under my mattress – however that would likely break them, and I assume they are expensive. So I'd say throw them out into the hall."

He stood up, rushing to the door, bending down to rest the glasses on the floor in the hall before he closed it and came back to her.

"I dunno what I can say-"

"There's probably not a lot you can say, really."

She looked around the room, thought about the weird green conference room… the glasses… Eggsy calling her a _job_.

"This whole thing has spy written all over it. Now that I think about it, I can't help but slap myself for not realizing who – or what – you were earlier. I mean you'd think of all the shows I've watched I'd notice the little things… even when it came to you," she said, meeting his gaze.

He opened his mouth but she shook her head, not wanting to hear his excuses.

"No… it's your turn to tell me something."

Eggsy met her gaze, clearing his throat, raising an eyebrow.

"My… turn?"

"You tell me about Dean and your mom, I drunkenly tell you about Mikey… now it's your turn to tell me something. I want you to tell me about _him_."

His eyes widened and he opened his mouth, shaking his head, but she continued.

"Conclusive reasoning: him who keeps you up at night, who stopped you from killing Dean. And I'm at least 90% sure that it's the same 'him' that lead you to where you are now, who you really are now. Please, don't take any offense when I say this… but a kid from South London becoming a spy in a suit just doesn't add up without someone intervening. You can't tell me why _I'm_ here or where or what 'here' even is, so… tell me about him."

He blinked slowly, frowning for a beat before the corner of his mouth twitched up.

"Definitely a genius," he muttered, shaking his head, "you're right… _he's_ the reason I'm even here."

He dragged the chair he was sitting in closer to her bed and sat down.

"So, long version or short vers-"

"Medium to short – who knows how much time-"

"My dad died when I just a youngster," he started, and she closed her mouth, watching him, "A man came to our flat to give his condolences, but couldn't tell us what happened to him. He gave me a Medal of Valor that had a phone number on the back, told me to hold onto it. I wore that medal as a necklace since, still have it at home."

"Fast forward – Dean is with my mum… I'm trapped. I steal a car that belonged to one of Dean's crew with my friends… but then I crashed it from runnin' from the coppers. I'm facin' at least two years but I use the medal, callin' the number… and a while later I'm walkin' out the station a free man."

"He's the one that gave you the medal?" she asked.

He nodded.

"He was also there at the station… He recruits me, being all subtle about it, you know? Like a spy. I barely knew what I was gettin' into, but I had nothin' to lose, I even told him that."

He stopped, taking in a deep breath, his eyebrows twitching.

"It was an interview… for a place to be here."

"Seems you passed with flying colors," she muttered, breaking his gaze to look around at the room again, something for her eyes to do other than look at him.

She met her own gaze in the mirror on the wall and frowned, remembering that she noticed it was a two-way before.

Who was behind there, watching, listening? No wonder they said 'of course' on the glasses so quickly when she asked for privacy – they had another way of watching them. She tensed up. They'd been listening this whole time, haven't they?

"Actually," Eggsy cleared his throat, "I failed, Roxy made it."

Ariel grinned at that and turned away from her reflection.

"I always liked her," she said, still grinning.

The door opened, and Ariel and Eggsy both turned to see the other woman from before – Ariel didn't know her name – walk forward, keeping her gaze on Ariel who looked back with intrigue.

"You're needed in the Dining Room," she said, glancing at Eggsy from under her bangs, her black hair pulled back in a short ponytail. What Ariel noticed was that she wasn't wearing any glasses nor a suit; just black pants and a shirt. Eggsy stood up and opened his mouth to argue but the woman only shook her head.

"Don't, Galahad."

Eggsy only nodded and turned to face Ariel. She glanced up at him, frowning.

"I'm so sorry," he started, but she shook her head and looked away. She heard him let out a breath and felt a faint touch on her arm, trailing down to her hand before it pulled away. She heard a door opening and slamming closed.

"I'm Amelia, by the way," the woman said.

Ariel turned to look at her, keeping her face neutral.

"Hey, Amelia. I don't remember any Knights of the Round Table being named Amelia… is that your real name, then?"

Amelia's eyebrow twitched.

"Oh come on. Galahad, Lancelot, Merlin... quite brilliant for codenames. Gives the whole thing a more… royal air to it, don't you think? Being Brits and all… or are you guys international? Suits are a universal statement after all…"

Amelia still stared at her.

Ariel furrowed her eyebrows.

"Eggsy must've told you enough – I catch on quick," she said, shifting in her bed.

"Actually," Amelia said, taking another step towards her bed, "he hasn't told us shit."

Ariel frowned, more at the statement rather than the surprising language from an agent.

"Barely told us anything. He's succeeded in keeping us in the dark about you, save for a pertinent detail or two."

"Don't lie to me… that's been done enough already," she muttered, unbelieving.

"I'm not the lying type; what do I have to gain? Now, given if you ask me about anything I can't answer, I can only tell you that it's classified, which is the truth. You may not know why you're here, but that's not my jurisdiction to explain. However shouldn't the fact that you're safe and away from the men that tried to take you explain enough about us?"

Ariel turned away, looking down at her arm, the IV needle in her skin, taped over so it would stay in place.

"He _lied_ to me," she found herself saying aloud.

"What, would you rather he tell you the truth? Introduce himself outright that he was there to protect you against an unknown threat? Which, by the way, would've also been against protocol?"

"He lied," she said again, images of them together flashing through her head. The suits, the parkour, taking her down when she attacked him – because he was following her… him laughing at her jokes; him holding her as she sobbed her heart out after telling him about Mikey… when he saved her from that speeding car… when they kissed.

"I'd like to be alone, please. Sleep some more," she said, turning back to Amelia, who only smiled and shook her head.

"Actually, I'm here on guard. Can't have you roaming the grounds again, finding out whatever you can," she said as she turned and walked towards the robe Ariel had worn earlier, hanging back on the hook on the wall.

Amelia reached into one of the pockets and turned back to her, walking forward. She opened her hand and rested the sunflower Ariel had taken from the vase, now a little bent but still vibrant, on her lap. She nodded, and sat down on the chair that Eggsy had dragged close to her bed.

Ariel blinked down at the flower, her hands reaching forward to stroke the soft petals.

"Usually I'm not one to achieve such menial requests," Amelia said. Ariel frowned, not sure what she was getting at. "Anyways," she continued, "before you go to sleep, I'd like to ask you a question."

"Ask away," Ariel said, shifting down in her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. She wished she had Sydney to cuddle with…

"Wait, where's Sydney?!" she cried out, feeling almost ashamed it took her this long to think about her.

"She's fine… someone is making sure she's fed, taken care of."

Ariel only nodded, blinking away tears.

Eggsy knew Sydney. Whatever kind of agency they were… Eggsy had his own pet. Sydney would be safe. At least _that_ she knew.

"Right, okay," Amelia muttered to herself, "speaking of pets… it was the question I was going to ask you. It's one of the many things I find most admirable about the idiot…" she muttered, and then sighed and looked up to meet Ariel's gaze before she continued.

"Did Eggsy ever tell you how he got JB? Or more, why he failed to initially get a spot here?" she asked.

Ariel shook her head and Amelia's mouth twitched.

"It's part of the… interview process. Earlier on, each one takes a puppy, and raises it. Trains them, sleeps with them – wherever a recruit went, their puppy followed, within reason of course. However there was a drawback. The final test for the remaining two recruitment's… they have to shoot their dog."

Ariel blanched and then sat upright.

"What kind of fucking place is this, making people shoot their own dogs?!" she cried out. Was Sydney safe? Did Amelia give her false hope just to keep her there?

"This 'fucking place' gives them a gun with a blank bullet but they don't know it!" Amelia replied, raising her voice as well.

Ariel blinked at that, surprised that Amelia had broken her resolve – everyone was acting too calm about this.

"Blanks?" she repeated.

Amelia nodded.

"Like he told you, Roxy made it instead of him. It was a test of pure loyalty, as well as following orders, no matter how personal the cost. Roxy pulled the trigger, but you've met Athena. The thing is, when Eggsy was given the gun, he didn't pull the trigger - he couldn't."

Ariel stopped… temporary warmth flooding through her before she turned cold. She was sure that's what Amelia was getting at, selling Eggsy, telling her stories so she forgot about their relationship based on a lie...

"He could be the fucking Dali Lama… he _lied_. But even then the Dali Lama wouldn't lie…" she said, sleepiness finally falling over her, her eyes feeling heavy. Did Amelia mess with her sedative? She looked over to the drip bag, which was going at a faster rate than usual. She turned to look at Amelia, frowning.

"What does that make him then?" Amelia asked, "And the word lie in this context is important. Did, at any time, he directly lie to you – give a false statement with intent to deceive?"

Ariel blinked away her sleepiness, trying to find the right answer as her mind grew heavier. In a different circumstance, she would've grinned. Seemed she'd met her match – Amelia knew to bring the direct definition forward-

"No…" she found herself whispering.

Doesn't mean it didn't hurt. Doesn't mean that their friendship, relationship, whatever the hell it was - was based on something _he_ only knew about.

It had felt real to her… but was it ever real for him?


	15. Chapter 15

Her eyes shot open and she sighed as she recollected her surroundings.

When was she getting out of here?

She shifted in her bed, feeling pain in her arm still, but her mind was clear now. She knew everything. Remembered everything.

When she reached up and touched the wound on her arm, her fingers encountered a tightly wrapped bandage instead. She sat up and looked around. There was no one with her – she was alone again. Her gaze landed on the two way mirror, and she frowned.

"Come on, then! I'm awake, aren't I?" she yelled out.

She stared at her reflection for another beat before falling back onto her bed, letting out a sigh. There were a couple moments of silence before someone opened the door.

She turned to see a man she recognized; it was the man in her flat, stopping Eggsy, the man who was yelling at Eggsy in that room, treating the word 'personal' as taboo…

Even the way he held himself now, she knew he was a leader, a superior. This was Merlin – she remembered Eggsy yelling his name. She quite fancied that Merlin was the leader, and not Arthur. In the stories of the Knights of the Round Table she always interpreted that Merlin was running the show the whole time, only guiding Arthur on what to really do.

"Merlin," she said trying to act confident as she stared at him. He didn't show any reaction, only titled his head in a nod.

"Ms. Renzella. I must say you've caused quite a… stir here."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Here being…" she started, but he didn't answer nor tell her what she wanted to know.

"You took quite a beating, but you'll recover. Our surgeons even confirm the bullet wound won't leave a scar," he said, as if out of everything that had happened she would be worried about _that_.

"Just tell me," she snapped.

Merlin raised his eyebrows. She sighed, sitting up in her bed again, wincing at the pain in her arm.

"Just fucking brief me or whatever you wanna call it. There's a reason I'm here: I heard Eggsy call me a job. Tell me, did you guys plan for him to be my neighbor? That's impressive, I made sure to stay off the grid, change my names in the school records, paid for my flat and everything else with cash – for a reason… which you already probably already know, my court proceedings will never be wiped off record," she started babbling. Merlin's face stayed unchanged as he stared at her. She decided to get back on track.

"And I heard you berating him – he got personal. I won't comment on that fact… however if I was the job, it meant that he was supposed to get to know me in the first place… so a neighborly friendship is personal in your books, then?" she continued, knowing she was lying. But why was she even defending Eggsy?

Merlin stepped forward, staring down at her behind his horn-rimmed glasses. She almost shrank back, intimidated by the gaze.

"Tell me, does meeting your neighbor's family entail a simple neighborly friendship?" he asked.

She blinked, knowing the answer. Not really… but that had been pure coincidence, and what kind of person would she be to just let them stay on his stoop, waiting…

He gave a curt nod as though she had given the answer, and continued.

"No? Then does one, who is supposed to report on a mission, instead ignore protocol in many fields, telling his superiors nothing until days after? Tell me, does that seem 'not personal' to you?"

She only stared at him, her face unmoving. However her heart betrayed her, the EKG monitor quickening it's tempo in sync with her equally quick beating heartbeat.

Merlin looked at her, and then to the monitor, his mouth tightening.

"Am I wrong?" he asked, as though daring her to lie to him. He had his own lie detector right in front of him.

She didn't do anything; didn't move, didn't say a word as she stared back at him. He reached forward to turn off the monitor, the beeping stopping, silence filling the room. She blinked, surprised. He looked at her again, waiting for her to answer, the EKG no longer acting as a lie detector.

She only shook her head.

"Just do whatever so I can go home, Merlin. Power up your memory erasing gizmo or such, you've got the glasses so god knows what else you guys have up your sleeve… just… the sooner I can go home the better," she said, trying to act defiant but even she could hear the shakiness and insecurity in her voice. She was glad the EKG wasn't connected anymore; she could feel her own heart beating erratically more than before.

"It's not a gizmo, just merely a watch that can shoot a dart with a heavy dose of benzodiazepine," she glanced at his wrist before raising an eyebrow, "However, I have no intention to discharge such a… gizmo on you."

"Then what the hell am I doing here?!" she cried out, sitting up. "Just tell me!" The fact that he didn't want to make her forget what she saw, what she heard… something was wrong. Something was definitely _wrong_.

Merlin, unperturbed by her outcry, turned and pointed to the leather chair near her bed where there were some folded clothes.

"Get dressed, Ms. Renzella," he said before leaving the room, the door making a click as he drew it closed.

She blinked down at the chair. It was a pair of sweats and a shirt that she'd seen Eggsy wear a few times, the unknown logo on the chest. It must be linked to this place. They fit her perfectly, and she was glad to be out of the hospital gown. She found a glass of water on the tray by her bed and wiped some on her face and rubbed at her eyes to wake herself up before guzzling the rest of it down with a shaky hand, getting rid of her dry mouth. Then she went to the door and walked out, skipping the slippers that were also provided – she didn't mind being barefoot.

Merlin was waiting for her in the hall. He gave a curt nod and held out an arm to lead the way. She mimicked him, and they both stood still. 

She was tired, she was confused, and she had to relinquish her stubborn pride. She took the first step forward, turning away so she didn't see Merlin's reaction.

"Who's looking after Sydney?" she asked after a while as they walked down the cold concrete hall. Couldn't they at least get rugs, maybe even some cheesy motel art of paintings with flowers and boats or something?

"One of our tech's, also looking after JB."

"Ah, so Eggsy's out on another spy mission then?" she asked, looking up at him. He shook his head as they turned a corner, unsuccessfully hiding a grin, and fully showing his frown.

"Actually he hasn't left since we brought you in," he said, sounding not so happy about it. She barely had time to react to that before he said "Here we are."

They'd reached the doorway of the room that she'd stumbled upon from before.

Amelia, Roxy and Eggsy stopped talking to look up at her and Merlin. Eggsy stood up quickly, his chair falling back but Roxy's arm shot out and she caught it before it could fall.

Ariel glanced around and then frowned when she noticed the subject of a handful of printed photos on the table. She walked forward, picking up one of them.

"Mr. Fosser?" she muttered, remembering the man and his disturbing avid interest in her at the gallery. He looked different in the photo, in army camouflage rather than in a suit, his beard gone, his head shaved to a buzzcut.

"Wait, you know him?" Eggsy asked, coming forward, pointing at the photo in her hands. She saw that his knuckles were bruised; there was even a Band-Aid on one of them. 

She looked up at him, nodding.

"Yeah, he came into the gallery. Bought a few pieces."

Eggsy frowned and glanced over at Merlin who stepped forward, bringing out new photos from the clipboard in his hand, pictures of other people.

"Do you recognize these men?" he asked.

She glanced down at the photos of two other men and shook her head.

"No, only Mr. Fosser."

"You said he bought some artwork?" Amelia asked, looking down at the table, muttering things under her breath as she tapped at the surface. Ariel raised an eyebrow. It was a simple glass surface, preserving the dark wood table underneath. Was Amelia going crazy?

Ariel looked around again and saw that they all wore glasses, even though Merlin's was a different style than the others. She turned to Eggsy and reached up with both hands, quickly taking the pair off his face and putting them on before turning back to the table.

"Woah," she said as she saw the surface of the table as a monitor of sorts. Amelia had brought up more pictures of Mr. Fosser, and there were a few other windows of code and text. She saw the website for the Gallery that she worked at.

"Ariel," Eggsy said, reaching forward to touch her arm. She turned away from his touch. His jaw twitched, but he pointed again at the photo she still had in her hand.

"Did he have an American accent?" he asked.

She nodded, tossing the photo on the table and walking around to stand next to Amelia.

"Southern… I'd think maybe Texas…" she said. Amelia noticed her standing there and waved her hand over the table, wiping the 'monitor' clean.

Ariel frowned and brought the glasses to the top of her head like she did with her sunglasses when she was indoors.

"No fair," she muttered.

"Sorry, it's classified," Amelia said.

She frowned at that and turned to look at Merlin. He was standing close with Eggsy, their heads bent towards each other, both frowning as they talked in low voices.

She then turned to Roxy, who was smiling apprehensively as she approached.

"Hey," she said softly.

Ariel only gave a small nod.

"How's your arm?" she asked.

Instinctively Ariel reached up and felt over the bandage, wincing in pain.

"So… did you and Eggsy plan the thing at the park?" she asked.

Roxy stepped back, her face twisting into a frown.

"Goodness, no! Please trust me - that was pure happenstance…"

Ariel only stared at her and surprisingly Roxy seemed flustered. While Roxy stuttered, Ariel looked over at Eggsy and Merlin again, still whispering to each other.

Maybe that's what made her snap; them talking so secretively. Just the same as Eggsy treating her as _a job_ ; the unknown reason why she was there…

"For fuck's sake!" she cried out, and silence reigned over the room. She took that chance to continue, "just tell me why I'm even here! Who were those men… fuck – who are _you_?" she asked, looking around the room, her gaze landing on Eggsy last, his face distraught.

"Ms. Renzella," Merlin started. His face was neutral, as it always was… "Please, sit."

"Fuck that!" she cried out, walking further into the room towards the other end of the table, away from them. "Just tell me!"

There were a few moments of silence, Ariel standing there, her hands curled into fists as she looked at each of them, barely glancing at Eggsy. Her gaze laded on Amelia. She seemed like the one who would bullshit her the least.

"I think you might want to sit down for this, Ariel. This is about your parents," Amelia said, keeping her gaze.

At the mention of them - in this place, in this situation… Ariel felt suddenly weak. She stumbled back and found the chair at the head of the table, sitting down.

Her parents?

She looked around at them, all staring back at her. Eggsy took a step forward but Merlin cleared his throat and Eggsy stopped, still at a distance from her.

Ariel shook her head, looking back to Amelia for answers, who in turn looked around the room, glancing at Merlin for a beat before returning her gaze to Ariel.

"This is about them, Ariel. You're here… because of them."

Ariel closed her eyes and shook her head.

"No," she heard herself gasping, her breath falling short, "that makes no sense."

"Ariel," she heard Eggsy say, and she snapped her head towards him, glaring.

" _Definitely_ no. You don't get to say or explain anything. They do."

Eggsy set his mouth into a straight line, bringing his hands behind his back as he nodded. She turned to Merlin wordlessly, waiting for him to start.

He only nodded and reached into his pocket to bring out a pair of glasses, giving them to Eggsy, who put the new pair on. Ariel, frowning, brought the glasses on top of her head down to rest them on her face.

Merlin gave a short nod to Amelia, who tapped at the table's surface.

Suddenly Ariel was seeing pictures of her parents within the glass. She felt her eyes get teary at the images, but focused on what Amelia was saying.

"Ariel… your parents weren't who you thought they were."

She could only blink, staring at their pictures, her heart feeling a pang as she realized she'd almost forgotten their faces. Had she retreated into herself that much – ignoring the mention of them, the boxes in her flat slowly gathering dust – that she barely recognized them?

She then turned to Amelia, frowning, hoping they didn't notice the internal panic attack she was experiencing.

Amelia turned away from her gaze and continued, bringing up multiple windows of text, more photos of them in the lab; Ariel was in one or two of them, her younger, more innocent self…

"They were working with MI6, on a - concoction of sorts. That's the reason they were…" Amelia faded off.

Still lost, Ariel looked around the room again. Eggsy was still staring at her, but she avoided his gaze as she stared at Roxy.

Roxy took a deep breath and spoke, keeping her gaze.

"That's the reason they're gone, Ariel. We're not sure who, or even what for that matter – whether it is an organization or just one lone suspect – wanted this information, but their car accident… it wasn't an accident."

Suddenly a ringing in her ears prevented Ariel from hearing anything else that Roxy said, even though her mouth was moving. She brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs, curling up into a ball, her head thumping in pain, as she tried to comprehend what she was hearing.

Something about her parents creating something for MI6 agents, their death not an accident but for a reason: to get _their_ research.

The reason why she was attacked: for _their_ research.

The reason she was the job: to protect her and _their_ research.

Amelia, Roxy, and Merlin all explained it to her: the suspects, the scene of the accident, how MI6 came to them with full discretion.

She shook her head, finally glancing towards Eggsy, who stood in the corner watching her.

"How long?" she asked. How long had he been lying to her, getting to know her, become close with her, with a hidden agenda?

Eggsy looked towards Merlin but Ariel stood up, knocking her chair back.

"How long?!" she repeated, now staring at Eggsy who looked back at her with a pained look.

"When JB chased Sydney that first night…" he said so softly that she barely heard it.

Since the _beginning_? True, they'd met earlier that day when he had come to her rescue after the movers bailed on her. So at least that was real, but as she looked back she only remembered being a stuttering idiot as she tried to make small talk, her bumbling getting worse each time she noticed him watching her.

And later that night he had come over. That night, she was his job.

Eggsy had been lying to her practically this whole time. Not getting to know her on his own terms, but on his _job's_ terms. How much of him was he being? How much of what they'd shared together was even real?

Ariel's legs felt unstable and she sat down again.

"I'd like to go home now," she said shakily, taking the glasses off and tossing them onto the table. They skidded on the surface, landing in the middle.

"Ariel, I'm sorry to say-" someone started- she didn't even match the voice to the person she was so out of it.

"I'd like to go home," Ariel interrupted her voice stronger this time, looking over to stare Merlin down, " _Now_."

Merlin only shook his head.

"There's more to this that you need to know. Especially considering the circumstances," he said, coming to her chair, staring down at her, his presence intimidating yet unaffected towards her.

Ariel stayed seated, staring back at him, waiting for whatever he was going to say. Merlin let out a heavy breath, but continued.

"Mr. Fosser was one of the men in your apartment, attempting to kidnap you."

At that, Ariel froze, and she shrunk back onto the chair, bringing her knees to her chest; she felt the pain in her arm again. So that's why they were so interested in him. That's why he was so creepily interested in her…

She frowned at that… she was so slow on the uptake…

She saw a flash of the man's pained face, the one she had stabbed in the foot and cut with the knives before running away – before Eggsy came in.

"With your parent's deaths… there was research that was taken – however it was only half of it. When you received the rest of your parent's things…" Merlin faded off.

"They thought the rest of it was there, in those boxes," Ariel concluded, glad her brain was now in working order.

Merlin only nodded and sat down, coming to the same level as her. She blinked in surprise at that… she was expecting more glares from him, more of his neutral face… but this was the first time she saw Merlin look something other than emotionless. He was looking at her approachingly, his eyes searching hers.

"Ariel… we have more to ask of you."

She forced out a laugh.

"You guys didn't even ask me anything in the first place."

Merlin didn't seem affected by her reply and continued.

"We still don't know who is behind this all. They now know that you have help on your side, and they'll backtrack but still come at us," he took a deep breath and sighed, meeting her gaze, "We need you to go back home – we need you to act as though everything is the same."

"You mean as bait?!" Eggsy yelled out, making Ariel jump. She looked over to see him glaring down Merlin, who continued to look at her.

"Whoever is behind this was willing to kill for the research. And they're only halfway there," he continued as if uninterrupted.

"You guys think I'm the other half," Ariel muttered.

Merlin only nodded.

She stared at the glasses she'd discarded on the table.

"You could be the link we need to find out whoever's behind this. They may come again, but we'll be right behind you," Merlin continued.

"Fuck that! Nothin' was said 'bout her bein' bait!" Eggsy said, walking towards Ariel and bending down next to her chair. She kept her gaze on the glasses, fighting her inner will to not look at him, trying to ignore his touch on her arm.

"I'll do it."

It was barely a whisper, but it was heard.

"Ariel, no, you-"

"I'll do it," she repeated sharply, cutting Eggsy off as she looked up to meet Merlin's gaze, "if it'll bring the fuckers that took my parents away from me to justice, then I'll do it."

"Ariel," Eggsy said yet again, and she finally turned to look at him.

"I'd like to go home now," she said tightly. Eggsy's jaw twitched, his eyes pleading, his jaw stiff in anger. He stood up, holding out his hand for her to take.

She ignored his hand as she stood up, looking around at the others, her gaze landing on Roxy.

"You shot your dog?" she asked dazedly, glad to focus on something other than what she had just found out.

Amelia let out a small snort and slapped her hand over her mouth as Roxy stared at her, stuttering.

"I can't say I agree with your actions… but good job. I bet you make your family proud," Ariel continued, "especially now that I know the real meaning of you being 'first' in your… field."

Roxy stopped and nodded, giving a soft smile.

"Thanks."

Ariel walked towards her and Roxy straightened her shoulders.

"I'd like to go home now," Ariel repeated, her voice shaking.

Roxy glanced at Eggsy before returning her gaze back her to her before nodding.

Ariel smiled faintly.

Amelia cleared her throat.

"Come on," she said, hooking her arm in Ariel's, leading her out of the room and into the hall.

"But what-"

"Small debriefing, but Roxy will take you home," Amelia said as they walked through the halls arm in arm.

They finally came upon a large room, computers on either side, and a large window on the far wall. Ariel dropped her arm from Amelia's as she walked forward towards the window, her mouth falling open at the sight.

All types of planes, helicopters, tanks, trucks, cars, motorcycles, jets - was that submarine? - were all in one large room below. There were people walking around, some in vests, walking from car to car, taking notes on their clipboards, others checking under the hoods of the Humvees, and even a small few holding light sticks, guiding incoming vehicles to their designated spots.

"What the hell is this place?" she whispered.

She heard a set of footsteps, and Roxy spoke.

"We're the Kingsman: an independent and international intelligence agency operating at the highest level of discretion. Sans the political and bureaucracy that undermines the integrity of other government run spy organizations, such as your CIA or FBI back home."

It was though as Roxy was reciting the words.

Ariel blinked at the room of vehicles, and then her eyes changed focus as she stared at her crude reflection on the glass. She looked beat, as though she hadn't slept for days. Her under eyes were dark, her lips were chapped, her jaw was narrower – she even felt lighter. How long had she been there?

Ariel turned around to look at Roxy and Amelia, both standing there, looking at her.

"I say the word discretion with emphasis, Ariel, because that is what we are… that is who we are," Roxy said, stepping forward.

Ariel blinked. She remembered Will Tippin getting this same kind of spiel on _Alias_ …

She nodded.

"Guys… I know secrets. I can keep secrets… hell you guys probably know by now I don't have many friends – more like _no_ friends - for me to talk to…" she babbled. She saw the odd looks from Roxy and Amelia, and shook her head. "Sorry, what I mean is… I know discretion. I can _live_ discretion if need be."

Roxy looked at Amelia, who turned her head and nodded at Roxy.

There was a click and a hiss and Ariel's mouth dropped open again as the wall behind the two women opened, showing a small metal tube, which with another sound of a hiss opened its doors, showing four chairs in the cramped space.

"Huh," Ariel said, walking around Roxy and Ariel towards the mini-subway.

"Let's go," Roxy said. They sat down across from each other.

"Ariel," Amelia said, and she turned to look up at her, "I hope to see you again, under better circumstances, of course."

Ariel nodded, her mouth twitching up.

"Me too, Amelia."

"Get some rest, Ariel," Amelia said before both the doors to the tube and the wall closed, and suddenly they were moving. The small tube was lit, but the windows of the door showed lights passing by quickly.

"How fast does this thing go?" she asked.

Roxy shrugged.

"We'll be in London in a couple of minutes."

Ariel frowned, looking around the small space again. She'd be able to figure it out how fast they were going if she knew where they were originally, but she had a feeling that she'd never find out – even if she asked.

They rode in silence and sure enough a couple minutes of awkward silence later the tube slowed down and came a stop, the doors opening to a room much like the one where they entered.

Roxy walked forward into a smaller room, the carpet a lush green, the walls red bricks. She walked to the corner, Ariel following, and flipped a small switch hidden within the bricks before there was a beep and a click.

The room started ascending, as though it was a large elevator. Ariel looked over to see the tube and the room disappearing slowly, and soon brick wall surrounded them as they moved up.

"How slow is this thing?" she asked after a while, looking up at a wooden ceiling still far up ahead.

Roxy smiled, shaking her head.

"Eggsy always bickers about it too."

At his name Ariel flinched and looked away, staring at the bricks in front of her as they moved. Soon the floor came up into a room, with green wall paper and wood paneling like the odd conference room, a three tiered mirror in front of them. Ariel flinched at her hollow reflection and turned away.

Roxy opened the door and they stepped out into a tailor shop, in the same design as the conference room; wood paneling, old fashioned lights, green embossed wallpaper.

"So at least that part's true," Ariel muttered as they walked out, Roxy nodding at a slender old man at a desk as they left the shop. A cab was waiting under the soft glow of a street light against the dark night.

Ariel turned around to look at the shop's window. There were three mannequins showcasing exquisite suits, and 'Kingsman' was in big gold text on the glass.

"Ariel?" Roxy asked, and she turned back to the cab, climbing in after Roxy.

It wasn't a normal cab, she noticed quickly enough. There was a black screen; the logo she'd seen a couple of times now – which she figured now was the Kingsman logo – blinking green on it. There was a small drink shelf, a phone, three small clocks showing London, Paris, and New York times, and even a box of cigars.

Ariel stared as the cab drove off. She reached towards one of the cigars, picking it up, looking at it as she turned it around in her hands.

"What's this, some kind of grenade? Camera?"

Roxy raised an eyebrow.

"It's just a cigar."

"Oh."

Roxy refrained a grin but Ariel noticed the corner of her mouth twitching.

"Men and their cigars," Roxy said absentmindedly, shaking her head.

Ariel almost smiled.

"Should there be anything I need to look out for?" she asked.

Roxy stopped, but nodded.

"Mr. Fosser – if that's even his real name – approached you at your place of work. That means you're being monitored quite closely."

"They're not the only ones," she muttered, and Roxy frowned.

"No."

Ariel raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry?"

Roxy shook her head, her eyebrows furrowing.

"You don't get to do that, not to me, not to us," she said.

"It's the truth, isn't it? They, whoever the fuck they are, aren't the only ones monitoring-"

"'They' want to _kill_ you. We… Eggsy was there for your safety. He didn't even want the job in the first place, did he tell you that? Said it wasn't fair to you to drag you into this, even though he knew it was his job, his _duty_ , as a Kingsman," Roxy said, sounding annoyed and flustered.

Ariel only stared, surprised.

"But this is all out of our hands, we have no control over it – we can only do what we can. Eggsy was your neighbor – by happenstance mind you – and therefore was the only viable candidate for the job. But you and I both know that he stopped resenting; and that you both gained _something_ from it. If there wasn't such a… let's just say he didn't follow orders when he came in to take down the men who tried to kidnap you. He even turned down a mission – something unheard of – to stay with you while you were recovering. I still don't even know how Eggsy managed it, but he was able to stay with you while another… tailor… took his place."

Ariel blinked at Roxy as she stared her down, and Ariel's heart caught before she looked away.

She was right. Ariel didn't know about Eggsy (even though in her heart she did) but _she_ gained something with their relationship – despite being based on a lie.

Roxy cleared her throat as the cab slowed down and stopped in front of her flat.

"You've got Eggsy's number, but here's mine. If you need anything, call us, alright?" Roxy said, holding out a card.

Ariel nodded and took it silently as she opened the door and got out, feeling bad as she ignored the driver that had rushed around to do the job. She was too tired, too fed up, to deal nicely with anyone.

Roxy followed her out of the cab and they walked up the stairs to her door.

Ariel froze, realizing she didn't have her keys - but Roxy stepped forward, her keys in hand, unlocking all five locks before handing them over.

Ariel opened the door and they stepped across the threshold.

There was a moment of silence before an opera of meows echoed throughout her place and Ariel looked down to see Sydney running towards her.

Before she knew it Ariel felt tears streaking down her face as she called out her name and reached down to pick her up – her remaining family – a family that didn't lie to her – hugging her tight to her chest, tucking her face into her soft grey fur. Sydney purred immediately and licked her hand.

Roxy cleared her throat. Ariel sniffed and looked up, but jumped when she saw that Roxy was holding a gun with a weird holster.

"Eggsy gave this to me; he wants you to have it. You need to choose a concealed place to hide it; these holes are for you to nail it in place. He said that after… you know… that you should have it. Self defense can only do so much," she said, "but this… well this has a shotgun shell, just flip this small switch near the safety, and… blam," Roxy said, pointing to the extra part and the switch, Ariel only staring wide eyed. That was possible for a hand gun? Shit, what other tech did they have, other than this and the glasses?

Ariel stared at the gun, and glanced back up at Roxy, staying silent.

"I can take you to the range if you like – it's quite empowering… but it's important to know how to use it," Roxy continued.

She stepped forward and put the gun, with its weird holster down on her hall table, waiting for a beat before she walked back towards the front door, facing Ariel again.

"Anything you need, just knock next door… and you've got my number. Will you be alright?"

Ariel tightened her grip around Sydney, nodding as tears continued pouring from her eyes.

Roxy nodded and reached forward, grabbing her good arm and squeezing it before she pulled back.

"We'll finish this, Ariel. You can bet on that."

Ariel only nodded, letting out a soft "Thank You," even though she felt hopeless while saying so.

"Anytime," Roxy said before she walked out and closed the door behind her.

Ariel stepped forward and locked all of her locks before she fell against the door, sinking down to the floor as she held Sydney tight and let it all go, sobbing her heart out.


	16. Chapter 16

She woke the next morning with a gasp after a solid fourteen hours of sleep. As if her brain had shut down out of necessity – she'd slept in a dreamless void. Now, however, the events of the last few days had her sinking back onto her pillow, pulling her covers over her head.

She wasn't even sure how long she'd stayed there, lying in her bed, either sleeping or lying there in silence, not even playing her "Let It Fall" playlist of songs to cry to which was always her back-up for emotional turmoils. But this - what she'd been through, what she'd learned - this was more than just _turmoil._ This was… hell… she couldn't even put a word to it - which made her even more frustrated - which kept her in bed even longer. Longer than just that day, which passed slowly, like others that followed.

She didn't eat, didn't do anything except get up to go to the bathroom, feed Sydney, or open the door to let Syndey out, but she would always rush back to her bed, crawling under the covers again. Eventually she started her playlist to fill in the void of silence that stopped her brain from spiraling into heavy darkness. Even the depressing songs of Bon Iver and Elliot Smith helped keep her afloat.

It wasn't Eggsy as much that had her in pain as it was her parents and their even worse deception. She felt betrayed by them: the years of them lying to her day in and day out about who they were. It got them killed; and she hated them for that. What was worse, she couldn't confront them about it and yell at them. She could only hate herself for hating them while they were dead.

Her doorbell rang at least three times a day, Eggsy outside calling out her name, sounding pained. Sydney didn't even go scratch at the front door but instead stayed in the bedroom with her and let out soft meows as she climbed onto the windowsill and pawed at the glass as Eggsy tried to get her to answer the door. But Ariel only stayed in bed, her eyes clenched tight each time he came by, waiting until he gave up and left.

Eventually she did get out of bed, feeling restless, her tear ducts empty.

She got seran wrap for the bandage on her arm - the wound still felt sore but the bleeding had mostly stopped - before she climbed into the shower, washing everything away. She put on a new pair of sweats and shirt, barely looking at what she was choosing.

She mindlessly climbed down the stairs and turned on her coffee maker as she grabbed a few M&M cookies she'd recently made – it felt like weeks – to eat for breakfast, not even feeling up to making anything or even microwaving leftovers.

Roxy had left an awkward and lengthy voicemail to let her know they had called the gallery as a close friend, giving an excuse about a family emergency back in the States and explaining Ms. Cantrel's generous reaction of giving her a week or two off, unpaid, but at least she wasn't fired. But she didn't even know if she could go back. The memories of Mr. Fosser, now that she knew who he really was, kept haunting her. His American accent, the way he looked at her as though she were prey…

She shook her head, chewing on her cookie as she went to her living room, planning on binging on _Happy Endings_ – something _not_ having to do with spies and something that made her laugh out loud, which she needed. Desperately.

She looked around and suddenly noticed a gaping difference in her living room. She froze, almost stumbling on her own feet, the cookie dropping from her hand.

Her parent's boxes, they were all gone.

Angry heat flooded her body as she took a deep breath, feeling almost dizzy.

This was _enough_.

She rushed to her front door, grabbing her keys at the last second, not even bothering to put on shoes. She only locked one lock behind her before she jumped over the railing and started banging her fist on Eggsy's door.

JB started barking but she didn't let up until it finally swung open.

"What the hell are you on about, it's called a doorbell - Ariel?!"

She shook her head at the jarring sight of him after what seemed like such a long time and pushed forward, looking around.

She'd only been to his flat once, with Michelle and Daisy, and even then she never got a look at the place. But she was here for only one reason now, and she was filled with so much rage she was only looking for one thing; her surroundings didn't matter.

She didn't see any boxes.

"Ariel, what's-"

"Where are they?!" she yelled out, realizing she was crying. She shook her head and went further into his place, letting the tears fall, looking around and climbing the stairs when she couldn't find them on the first floor.

"Ariel?"

"They're gone… they're gone… what did you do with them?!" she said frantically as she walked around upstairs – ralizing that the the layout of the place was similar to hers.

She saw a closed door and walked forward but a hand wrapped around her arm, stopping her from reaching the handle. She pulled out of his grip and turned around.

She blinked when it finally dawned on her that was wearing glasses.

 _The_ glasses; the Kingmsan were looking right at her, watching her frantic motions, hearing her despaired cries.

She focused her gaze on Eggsy's eyes for a second.

"This is for you, too," she said, taking in a deep breath.

Eggsy frowned, and tilted his head.

"What-" he started, but she didn't let him finish.

"What the fuck, guys!?" she yelled out, staring at Eggsy, her gaze more on the lenses of his glasses rather than his eyes behind it, staring her down.

They were there, she _knew_ they were there. She'd give them a piece of her mind. And it didn't bother her to use Eggsy as an outlet. Just like he'd used her…

"Those were _mine._ Those boxes… no matter what the fuck they were holding, are mine! My damn property! Not yours to just take as you please!" Her heart started beating faster, her eyes moving to focus on the bridge of the bulky glasses. "Dr. and Dr. Renzella are mine. They're _my_ parents. I barely even… and then I had those boxes… and then you just _took_ it all away!" she took in a shuddering breath, bringing a hand to her chest, covering her erratically beating heart.

"I barely recognized their faces from the projected photos on that table when you told me who they really were… I'd been denying it for so long that they were gone… but then I had them - in those boxes… and you just… you…"

She faded off.

"Ariel," Eggsy whispered softly, standing still, letting her get it all out.

"Okay fine, I realize taking the ' _Dr. & Dr._' boxes, but what about the ' _Mom and Dad_ ' ones!" she cried out, wiping at her wet eyes. "They were _my_ mom and dad, not yours! I was the one who they cared for, held onto, taught me everything I know, helped me through one of the worst times in my life. But the only time my world truly shattered around me, my life seeming useless, was when I lost them," she said, taking in another shuddering breath, wiping at her eyes before even more tears fell.

She stopped, her eyes re-focusing on Eggsy's. He was just standing there, his eyes pained, his shaking hands clenched into fists, taking the beating…

She took in another deep breath, shaking her head.

"This is the end of my tirade," she said, looking at Eggy's eyes for a split second, "You can shut the glasses off, or whatever," she said, staring at the bridge of Eggy's glasses, waiting to see if they would sign off…

Sure enough, even though she didn't hear anything, Eggsy blinked and took off his glasses, tucking them into his shirt pocket backwards, the lenses inside the pocket.

Knowing she was alone, truly alone with just the two of them, she nodded and turned around, facing the closed door that Eggsy tried to stop her from opening before... but didn't stop her now. She turned the knob and stepped through. The boxes were in there, they had to be.

She faltered, her hand falling from the doorknob as she took a step forward into the room – where her parent's boxes weren't to be found.

However an equally intriguing sight met her.

It was a simple room at first glance, with a desk and chair on one end, an armchair and lamp on the other, and large speakers in the two far corners. Although it was what adorned the rustic red painted walls that had her giving it a second glance: various covers of _The Sun_ were pinned up, as though in a collage.

On the wall facing the desk, some were yellowing over age while on the opposite side, behind the desk, were crisp, almost brand new, and there was some free space, as though more covers were to be pinned up beside the others. Some of them she even recognized when she laughed at the ridiculous headlines as she bought the paper at a booth near the Gallery. She noticed that one in the far corner had a picture of a recognizable face, big bold text reading " _Not Our Funny Valentine_ ". She remembered that face, the face responsible for the collapse of the world and its many governments, the face that promised free cell phones and wifi – with a high cost no one had imagined...

Thankfully during that time, her parents and herself had burner phones, still deciding on a carrier. And they'd been at home, watching everything unfold on the news. The broadcasts from the US had ceased to a halt, the line going dead after the anchor behind the desk stopped talking and climbed over the table to lunge at the camera. Those in the UK had taken slightly longer to go offline. 

"Ariel," she heard Eggsy say. She felt his fingers brush at her arm, and shivers ran through her body as though electrifying her anger.

She turned and slapped him across the face, hard. The sound echoed throughout the room and she blinked in surprise, her hand dropping.

It threw his head to the side and he closed his eyes, breathing in deep. He opened his eyes, his cheek turning pink from the hit, and slowly turned his head to look at her. He didn't look angry… he looked pained but not in the physical sense.

"You wanna punch me too, if that'll help?"

She wanted to laugh but instead turned back around, walking further into the room, surprisingly - but at the same time understandably - the thoughts of her parents escaping her.

It made no sense, she thought as she looked around at the room. The covers didn't form a pattern of any kind that she could see; they were just… random. Random dates of random headlines that ranged from serious to covers that were laughable, such as UFO sightings or alien babies from the Royal Family.

"My parent's boxes are gone," she said mindlessly as she stared at the covers on the walls.

Eggsy stayed silent for a beat, but then spoke.

"They're uh, back at headquarters... hopin' to find the rest of the research."

Ariel sighed, glad that he was telling the truth now. It was one pro to add against the con. No more deception between them – just the bare truth, now that she knew who he really was.

"What the hell is this, then?" she asked, motioning towards the walls as she stopped in the center of the room, turning around to look at him.

He had his hands in his pockets, glancing around the room, a shadow passing over his face. He took a step towards her, his face turning soft again and she took a step back, shaking her head.

He sighed, meeting her gaze.

"This ain't my place," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. He shook his head, looking down.

"This flat wasn't originally mine… it was _his_ ," he said softly.

She blinked, realizing the _him_ he was talking about and caught her breath, looking around the room again with a new view. So this had meaning to who _he_ was. And by looking at the newer covers… maybe even who Eggsy was. But she still had no idea why this room was closed off…

"What was his name?" she found herself asking. She couldn't believe she hadn't asked it before… but then again when Eggsy told her about him she was laying in a hospital bed, her world turned upside down. It had slowly righted itself since then, but she was still astray.

She turned and took another step back when she realized he was closer to her than before.

"Harry," he said softly, a moment of pain crossing his face before he drew his mouth into a straight line, "his name was Harry."

She gave a curt nod, letting out a shaky breath.

She couldn't do this. Not now. Not when the anger of her parent's memories being taken away from her still resonated. He didn't deserve her anger when he was standing in front of her, so… _bare_.

"Okay… uhm… good talk," she said abruptly. With that she walked around him to leave the room, walking through the hall, down his steps, taking a split second to kneel down and scratch behind JB's ears as he snorted, before leaving through his front door.

"Ariel," he called after her as he followed.

She jumped the railing and turned to him, glad at the barrier between them as she looked at him.

"Ariel…" he faded off again, and she shrugged.

"At least you're telling the truth now," she said. She faltered, but then continued, looking down at her bare feet, her nail polish all chipped off, "I… uhm… maybe when everything isn't so fucked up I can hear about Harry some more," she muttered.

She heard him take in a breath, and she turned to unlock her door but stopped when she noticed a small pile of goods and gifts on her stoop, surprised she hadn't tripped over them before.

She turned back to Eggsy, raising an eyebrow. He winced, running a hand through his hair.

She turned back to the pile and bent down to pick up the now withering bouquet of sunflowers as she stood up straight. She almost let out a laugh when she noticed that there was a wooden spoon amongst the decaying stems.

She looked at Eggsy, meeting his staring gaze for a beat before she looked away again. She bent down and gathered the rest of the pile in her arms before she turned back to him but didn't meet his eyes.

"Good talk," she said again before she fumbled to open her door with her arms full, stepping through without a second glance back and closing it behind her.

She sunk to the floor, leaning against her door as she opened her arms and let everything fall. She set the bouquet of dying flowers aside as she looked at what lay before her.

They were from Eggsy. Even if he hadn't looked so guilty about it, there was no other person that she really knew that had such a reason to give gifts. She frowned, wondering _why_ he was even doing so. He didn't seem like the type to be so… sentimental and sweet.

She blinked, her eyes refocusing. With shaking hands she reached forward to view her gifts. Soon enough she realized they weren't gifts… they were moments. She'd even consider it proof, proof that maybe what he had with her was real, and not completely a deception on his part. That thought was fleeting as she shook her head.

Spies had good memories. They were good at manipulating.

There was a rather thick book: _Larousse's Encyclopedia of Animal Life,_ and a cookbook titled _Step by Step Guide to Scones_. A toy figure set of Ninjas. 

And the last gift, which Ariel stared at for a while, a lone tear escaping her eye to fall down her cheek, was a plate of peanut butter cookies, with five mini bottles of Jack Daniels packed in the middle.


	17. Chapter 17

She had a rough restart at work. Ms. Cantrell was a hawk like she had been Ariel's first few weeks there. But instead of making sure Ariel was doing her job, her boss was more worried than anything, using her first name. All because of the fake family member who had a fake heart attack.

She and Eggsy did cross paths soon enough, him leaving and her coming home or vise versa. In fact the morning after she barged into his place, she was leaving the same time he was. He stopped from getting into the cab and smiled apprehensively at her. She climbed down the stairs of her stoop, stared at him, and then lied when she said "Your peanut butter cookies were crap", catching his smile before she turned and walked down the street to work, thankful Eggsy didn't try to stop her. Truth was they were amazing. Nestle readymade dough was always amazing.

Thankfully he'd stopped with the personal gifts; she wasn't sure if she'd be able to bear anymore from him – though a part of her was curious to see what else he would come up with.

There was nothing so far. Merlin had said she would draw out whoever killed her parents, but nothing was happening. She found herself always glancing across the street before she went inside her own place, but she never saw any closed curtains, and no more strange men visited the gallery, apart from the handsy and old men that visited, showing more interest in her and Ms. Cantrell rather than the pieces on the wall.

It was a week or so later, after the incident when she yelled at Eggsy for indirectly taking her parents boxes away.

She had just finished cooking up some salmon, her plate of fish and white rice already loaded and ready to move to the living room to watch _The Avengers_ when Sydney meowed loudly, almost tripping Ariel in her attempt to get to the front door. She pawed and meowed, rubbing her head against the door, her tail straight in the air.

Ariel ignored it as she brought her plate to her coffee table on a hot plate, turning on her X-Box and TV and grabbing the controller as she sat down. She had just brought up Netflix and was on the movie's info page but gave up as she dropped the controller and stood up with a loud sigh; Sydney's meows were turning unbearable. She walked towards her door, bringing her eye to the peephole even though she knew who it would be on the other side.

Eggsy was there, distorted from the glass but still easily visible. He stood there, staring at her door, dressed in a polo and jeans with a letterman style jacket – a nice but distracting change from his suits – one hand in his pocket, another behind his back as though holding something.

Sydney meowed again and Ariel watched as Eggsy's head moved down as though seeing Sydney though the door.

She sighed and turned three of her five locks before she swung the door open.

Eggsy jumped but stayed where he was, looking at her, a hint of a grin on his lips.

"What?" she snapped.

Eggsy looked at her for a beat before he spoke, bringing the hand behind his back forward to show an unopened bottle of Jack Daniels.

"I, uhm… well, as I said, until the weekend, right…" he faded off, shaking the bottle slightly, "and it's been alotta weekends but y'know… better late than never, right?"

She only blinked, staring at him and then glancing at the bottle. She even recognized the sale tag that she'd blacked out the price with a sharpie; a thank you gift along with a plate of homemade peanut butter cookies for him helping her bring her furniture in after her movers ditched her the first day they met. Seemed like light-years away, that moment when he knocked on her door that night, offering to share the bottle and cookies.

Sydney meowed more and walked around his feet, rubbing in between his legs. He bent down and stroked Syndey's fur, scratching her back. Sydney started purring immediately and stood still, arching her back against Eggsy's touch.

Ariel stayed silent as Eggsy scratched her cat's back a bit more before standing up.

"Can I come in?" he asked so softly, so un-assuredly that it had her doing a double take.

"Where's the suit?" she asked.

He looked… odd in his casual clothes. It was like he belonged in a suit, not jeans, though the sight was just as enjoyable. She blinked at the thought and refrained from smacking herself. He shrugged, looking down at his feet in bright white Adidas instead of his usual Oxfords.

"Been given some time off," he muttered.

She tilted her head.

"Because of me?" she asked.

He took in a deep breath and looked up to meet her eyes before he slowly nodded.

"Kinda, yeah. More of a 'break' as Merlin put it. We've uh, come in with a few new… tailors who can take on… jobs."

She stared at him. He was telling her the truth again – or as much as he could. Before she knew it she was stepping back, opening her door further to let him in. His eyes widened and he nodded, looking down as he crossed the threshold, stepping close to her.

Her breath caught and she moved away from him to close her door, turning the lock on her door knob as well as the one right above it.

"Sit, you're just in time for the movie. I'll bring you a glass and a plate," was all she said before turning and walking to the kitchen, not chancing a look at him.

Sydney followed her, meowing and jumping on the counter, sniffing at the air as Ariel lifted the lid off her plug-in skillet that held the Salmon and used a spatula to take another piece of fish – she usually made large portions of food and would refrigerate the leftovers, making it easier for her to prep other dinners.

Sydney meowed again when she put the lid back on. Ariel put some rice on the plate and grabbed a fork and an extra glass, but stopped in the doorway, an idea forming in her mind.

She turned and walked towards a far cupboard, bringing out a shot glass and tucking it into her sweatpants pocket and rushing to the fridge to grab a can of Coca Cola, placing that in her other pocket before walking back to her living room.

She stopped short at the sight that greeted her, and couldn't help but grin.

Eggsy was eating her plate.

It was almost empty and he was holding a small piece of salmon out to Sydney who was sitting on the coffee table. She sniffed it then took the piece from his hands. Eggsy smiled, letting out a little laugh and muttering something Ariel didn't hear while he scratched behind Sydney's ears as she chewed her delectable treat.

Ariel stepped forward, clearing her throat.

Eggsy jumped slightly and turned his head to look at her guiltily.

"Uhm, Sydney was trying to eat it… and it smelled good and I…" he faded off and scratched the back of his neck, scrunching up his face.

She then couldn't help but laugh as she walked forward; taking a seat on the other side of the sofa, resting what was now her plate and the empty glass on the coffee table. Sydney meowed and walked over to her plate but Ariel made a hissing noise and shooed Sydney off the table. She instead jumped up onto the back of the sofa, sitting down near where Eggsy was sitting, staring at him and pawing the air.

"She's got the best begging skills I've ever seen," she said.

"Well she puts effort into it; JB just sits and snorts at you."

"That's what he does even when he's not begging, how can you tell the difference?" she asked as she brought out the shot glass and can of soda from her pockets, putting them on the table, grabbing a coaster for the soda can.

"There's food involved. And it's in the eyes."

She grinned again but shook her head as she turned and picked up her the controller, finally starting the movie and resting the control on the cushion next to her. She then grabbed the bottle of Jack, twisting off the cap and pouring a small amount into the shot glass. She picked it up, looked at it, and then thrust it forward at him, keeping her hand steady so as not to spill it.

This was childish of her, she knew that, but she couldn't think of anything else.

"Drink."

He raised an eyebrow.

"This is the only way I can see this going – partially in your favor, mind you," she explained, "this won't fix everything, but it'll help mend it. Think of it as a band-aid."

He still only stared, intermittently glancing at the shot glass, the bottle, and then at her.

"Your turn to confess… while drunk," she continued.

He froze at that, his gaze zeroing in on her. She only shook her head.

"It might seem a disadvantage, I got to choose my subject when I was inebriated, however I'm already at an unfair advantage, an extremely unfair one. And you never finished your story about Harry, about how you even became who you are now. There's more to the man than you've let on; the same man that has you on your balcony some nights, staring into nothing."

Eggsy opened his mouth and then closed it… looking torn.

"Take the shot – and many after it – or leave. Those are my terms," she said, completely improvising. But she knew she wanted this: to see him as he saw her the entire time he knew her – real, not pretending, not lying. "I even brought a chaser if you need it," she finished, sliding the coaster with the can of soda towards him on the table.

They always said that drunk words were unspoken thoughts. He'd been lying to her this whole time; it was time to let those unspoken thoughts come forward.

He looked up and raised an eyebrow at her, looking almost concerned before taking the shot glass and throwing it back. He winced at the taste but grabbed the bottle instead of the soda, pouring another shot.

"How many?" he asked with a hiss, his face scrunching up.

"I'll let you know when to stop," was all she said before she turned and grabbed her plate, immediately digging in. She watched as Dr. Fury got off a helicopter as epic music played in the background and grinned.

She heard the snap of the soda can being opened and waited until Dr. Selvig appeared on screen before she said "Another."

And sure enough, from the corner of her eye she watched as Eggsy poured another shot, quickly chasing it down with the Cola. He let out a breath of relief, and cleared his throat.

"This isn't really a 'take a shot' kinda drink…"

"Shush, this part is good," she said, watching as the Tesseract flowed blue energy throughout the room before Loki appeared.

She heard a gag and a cough.

"I'm not used to shots," Eggsy muttered after taking yet another one.

"And I'm not used to people using me for ulterior motives, but here we are," she said, staring at the screen as Loki started wreaking havoc, bringing a forkful of rice to her mouth and chewing.

"Ariel-"

"Shush, you're missing some major plot points," she said as Loki pressed the staff onto Hawkeye's chest, taking over his mind.

Eggsy only sighed but she heard the pouring of another shot, another gasp and chug of soda, then a sigh of relief.

"Finish your plate," she said, still watching the movie.

He ate quietly; the only sounds in the room were the movie and both of their forks clanging against the glass plates as they ate in silence.

Eggsy finished before her; he'd already taken care of most of the plate anyways. When she heard him pour another shot she finally turned to look at him, watching as he tilted his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed before he brought his head down, letting out a hiss as he shook his head, grabbing the soda from the table and taking a big gulp.

"What's your tolerance?" she asked.

He winked at her as he reached for the bottle.

"I'll letcha know, luv," he said, his accent drastically emphasized.

"Wait, no, take a break," she frowned, reaching forward to intercept his hands. She didn't want him barfing all over her living room… He shooed her hands away and reached for the glass but her hand shot forward, grabbing it before he could and tossing it down herself, hacking at the taste.

"Holy shit," she gasped, and without a chaser she instead grabbed a forkful of salmon and chewed it quickly.

"Told ya, not a shot drink."

She rolled her eyes and put her plate down, mostly finished now. She grabbed the glass she'd poured for herself and took a miniscule sip but still winced at the taste. Maybe she should've gotten a can of cola for herself.

She blinked when he reached forward, his can of soda in hand as he poured what was left of it into her glass before standing up.

"Now that's just not fair. Ya make it look cute," was all he said before he walked out of her living room. She didn't even watch where he was going, instead staring at the now mixed drink in her hand, epic music playing in the background from the movie as the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound was rendered into dust.

 _Cute_?

Cute…

She heard his footsteps return and looked up. He had brought out two more cans of soda, coming back to her coffee table, placing two more coasters out before setting the cans down and sitting down on her sofa, now in the middle cushion – closer to her.

He grabbed the bottle and poured another shot as she took another sip of her drink, the taste much better now that it was mixed. She could never understand how in the TV shows and movies that people drank the stuff straight. Maybe if she'd added ice it would be more bearable?

She tried to watch as Agent Romanoff subtly interrogated three men all the while tied to a chair, but she couldn't enjoy it. Eggsy was taking two more shots, now staying quiet and no longer hissing or letting out breaths of relief as he chased the liquor down with the soda.

She kept her eyes on the screen but suddenly the sound stopped playing as the picture continued, the Black Widow coming out as she broke away from the chair she was confined to and taking down the men around her – it didn't have the same effect without sound.

She blinked, noticing the icon in the corner that told her it was muted. He cleared his throat and she set her glass down before turning to him.

"I think I might'a reached it," he said slowly. She nodded and grabbed his soda, thrusting that forward. The corner of his mouth twitched up as he took the can and chugged it down, repressing a burp as he set the can down, facing her and leaning back, bringing up his arm to rest on the back of the sofa to hold his head in his hand.

She kept his gaze, waiting for him to start.

"My dad was a Kingsman agent."

She gasped. She wasn't expecting _that_.

He gave a curt nod, and continued.

"Didn't even know how he died 'till I was offered the job… I peeked through the files, even though I wasn't really supp - supposed ta." he said, slightly stuttering the word, "It was a mission, I can't tell ya about it… but my dad was there… and he died savin' Harry's life."

She furrowed her eyebrows.

Harry.

She knew the name now; the meaning behind it. The room he had locked away upstairs in his flat.

Eggy's father saved his life; so Harry set out to help Eggsy.

"You've connected it, haven't ya?" he asked.

She stopped, confused. He smiled, shaking his head.

"You furrow your eyebrows and bite ya lip when you're thinkin' things through… so I know that ya know that Harry felt a… debt."

She relaxed her mouth, blinking when her lip came free from her teeth. She shook her head.

"Something tells me it was more than a debt, Eggsy."

He only stared at her, his eyes glassy, before he raised his hand and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing over her jaw and over her scar. She shivered, shaking her head and pulling back.

"Details, Eggsy," she said, wanting to keep him occupied. Thoughts weren't so coherent when he was touching her… but she was controlling this; she was the one making sure he was spilling his heart out, the same she'd done to him earlier while drunk.

His hand dropped, thankfully, and he continued.

"It's simple, really; he saved me. Dean and his crew found me; want'in to do somethin' about the car I'd snagged, rememba? But when they came, I was with Harry. And he… he demolished 'em. One against five. I only sat there… watched as he took 'em all down with just a fuckin' umbrella…" he said in a daze. He turned to meet her gaze before he continued.

"Right then, watchin' him as he did what I could only imagine doin' myself to the lot of 'em for the past few years… somethin' came over me. I knew I could be like him: I could fight back, could become someone that took a stand, didn't let people walk all over me."

"How did you become a Kingsman, if you didn't pass the recruitment?"

His hand dropped and he sighed.

"D'ya remember Valentine?"

She blinked, but nodded. So there was meaning with _The Sun_ covers in that room in his apartment…

"He'd gotten to the previous superior of Kingsman, Artha'. He had the chip and everythin'…"

She frowned but nodded. He was talking about Harry in the past tense too - did Eggsy lose him to Valentine as well? He was living in the man's flat… was that what had him on his balcony some late nights, staring into nothing?

"Valentine killed Harry," he said so bluntly that she blinked and gasped, looking at him. But he was staring at his hands, resting in his lap. They curled into fists. "So then I killed him."

She stopped, blinking again. He shook his head and then looked up to meet her gaze, his eyes wet, but no tears threatening to spill.

"Good," was all she said.

His eyes widened, but then his gaze turned dark as he shook his head.

"Ariel… I'm not who I am."

She raised an eyebrow at such a contradictory sentence. He shook his head.

"I neva went to college… I was in the Marines but even then I dropped out… I've shoplifted, even robbed a place or two… I've lifted cars, as ya know… I'm a nothin-"

"And I'm a college dropout because I drank too much and started failing my classes, all because I lost my parents. I wasn't as strong as you, Eggsy. You'd lost your father, were forced into a corner with Dean, but you got through it. Not only protecting yourself but your mother _and_ your sister," she swallowed the lump in her throat, surprised that she was sitting there, defending him against himself… "You had much worse to deal with, and made it through. I… failed," she whispered, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders as she admitted it out loud.

"Hey," he said, reaching forward to brush her cheek but she pulled away snd his hand dropped, "you're here now. You didn't let your dropping out stop you from doing something. You're at the Gallery, doing something you love."

She shook her head, not wanting to talk about herself.

"Transform is quite a word, I must say," she started.

He blinked but looked at her expectantly, almost excitedly.

"Tell me," he said softly, leaning forward. She drew in a breath at their even closer approximation but sighed and continued.

"It means a drastic change in character, form, even appearance," she said, looking at his polo shirt and jeans - a radical change from his usual suits… "but transformation isn't a one way street."

She swallowed, staring into his eyes, looking so broken, but continued.

"Yes, Harry helped _transform_ you, but that only meant bringing out the side of you that was there the whole time. Transformation is… consensual. One has to want it; one has to have it in them all along to actually change. It doesn't just happen with chance… but with drive."

Her heart dropped when his eyes got glassy again.

"How d'ya do that?" he asked, his voice cracking.

She drew back, raising an eyebrow. He shook his head.

"I've just told ya who I am… who I really am… and yet ya just twist everythin' around and-"

"I'm the objective viewpoint here, not the subjective. Harry was that push you needed, in more ways than one. Now it might have been a drastic push or two - but it was one that led to who you are now, where you are now. Do you regret any of it?"

He only stared at her, but as though it was too much he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"You _transformed_ , as you like to call it, only because you wanted to," she continued with a shaky voice, "if you were fine with who you were back then, you would've told Harry to stick it where the sun doesn't shine."

His eyes shot open and he laughed.

"Christ," he said, shaking his head, "I could've used your company a while ago, Ariel," he said finally calming down and keeping her gaze.

She blinked and pulled back fully, shifting away on the sofa, accidentally sitting on the bottle she'd hid behind her. She shook her head and stood up.

"I need to get to bed," she said in finality, her eyes glancing to the movie still silently playing on her screen.

She heard Eggsy sigh and from the corner of her eye watched as he stood up as well, swaying on his feet but taking a step to find his ground.

"I'm sorry, Ariel."

"Don't-" she shook her head, her eyes moving away from the screen to her bare feet, her purple nail polish from a pedicure months ago fading away.

"I'm sorry," he said again, taking a step towards her, reaching out and grabbing her in a tight hold, his body shivering against hers as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, as though he would never let go.

It took her only a split moment before she found herself hugging him back, momentarily lost in the feeling of his warmth while she rested her head on his shoulder, tucked into his neck.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't want it to happen this way," he whispered.

She nodded against him, holding him tightly for another moment or two before she pulled back, shaking her head.

"Thanks, for the… gifts."

He nodded, swaying towards her as he stood still. She started walking towards her door, and heard Eggsy following.

"Sorry the sunflowers died… I can get you-"

She quickly turned on him and he stopped, swaying again but staying upright.

"How did you know?" she asked.

He only blinked. She sighed.

"How did you know that they're my favorite?" she asked quietly, not looking at him. It wasn't until she'd tossed away the dead bouquet that Eggsy had gotten her – she kept the wooden spoon – that she'd realized the sunflower on her food tray when she was lying in bed at Headquarters was from him. That's what Amelia had meant by 'menial tasks'.

There were a couple moments of silence between them.

"It was a mix of things," he said.

She crossed her arms over her chest, still not looking at him, waiting.

"You had a shirt," he started, "with a sunflower painted on it. I remember thinkin' if you'd made it yourself or just bought it."

She stood still. She'd asked a former friend to make it for her. Claire, from Cambridge. On the side, to make money, she made shirts and jewelry for commission.

"Then there was the matchin' pajama pants, the vase of fake sunflowers on your bookshelf in the livin' room, and the other vase on your dinin' room table."

She took in a shaky breath, and turned back towards her door. She unlocked the doorknob, about to swing her door open, but Eggsy's hand covered hers. She froze, her breath catching.

"I'll get ya more."

She'd meant to shake her head but instead nodded, turning the knob, his hand moving with hers as she opened her door.

"Good talk," she said shakily, looking at her bare feet, Eggsy's super white sneakers right next to hers. But they soon shifted away, crossing the threshold of her door.

She looked up in time to watch him turn around, staring at her a last time.

"I'm sor-"

"Good talk, Eggsy. It really was," she interrupted, not wanting to hear it again.

He stopped, but nodded. He looked at the railing between their doors, and instead of jumping over he descended her stairs, using the railing for support as he climbed down and up around to his own door, pulling his keys from his jeans pocket.

He opened his door but didn't step through, instead turning to look at her.

"Grease, Advil, and OJ," she said softly, remembering what he'd said to her the morning of her hangover.

He frowned.

"No croissants?" he asked.

Her heart stopped as she shook her head.

"Not this time."

He shook his head but smiled, making her heart catch.

"Grease, Advil, and OJ," he repeated, clicking his heels together, standing up straight as he brought two fingers to his forehead, "Yes, Ma'am."

She tilted her head.

"Goodnight, Eggsy."

"G'Night, Ariel."

She stood there, waiting for him to go in. But he stayed, watching her, his body swaying with a drunken grin on his face.

She raised an eyebrow.

"I wait for you to go in first. Always do," he said, his voice stuttering, his tone uneven.

She blinked and nodded. She'd known that. In the back of her mind, she'd always known.

She only gave a short not before she stepped back into her flat, closing her door and turning all five locks.

She rested her ear against the wood and found herself smiling when she heard Eggsy's door close, the soft clicks of his own locks echoing in her ears.


	18. Chapter 18

She woke up with a shout, her hands coming to her chest, her body shaking with cold sweat dripping down her neck.

She sat there, catching her breath before she climbed out of bed and rushed to her bathroom sink, not bothering to turn the light on as she pooled water in her hands to splash her face and rub water over her neck and arms to wake herself up. She grabbed a small towel and wiped her face and body, the shivers racking throughout her body slowing down as she walked back and climbed onto her bed.

The nightmare started the same – her hearing the sounds of obvious intruders, her grasping her knives and crawling around, waiting for the right moment. Fighting the men even though she knew one split second meant she was either free or captured. However this nightmare… instead of Eggsy bursting through the door to save her - it was a faceless man who aimed his gun right at her and pulled the trigger.

Sydney meowed and stepped forward from her usual sleeping spot at the foot of the bed, forcing her head under Ariel's hand so she had to pet her.

Ariel did so without hesitation, her heartbeat calming down as she stroked Sydney's fur. She looked at her bedside clock – it was already eight in the morning – she had one day off before working the rest of the week.

She didn't know if it was magic or if they'd just cleaned up so much of it that they were experts – but when she finally came home, she saw that there wasn't any blood on her hardwood floors; even the spot where she remembered stabbing through the man's foot was gone, showing perfect hardwood floors. The candle she'd broken was replaced with a brand new one, and she noticed that she had two new knives in her holder, same brand as before. She'd walked around, her fingers running against the walls, searching for strayed bullets, but instead she felt newly caulked walls, hiding the evidence.

They'd even finished cooking her spaghetti and sauce, stored in Tupperware in her fridge. Even the pots and pans were washed and returned to their regular place.

The only things different were her parent's boxes were gone, and there was now a gun underneath her hall table. A gun that Eggsy had given her - even if by proxy through Roxy.

She grinned at her thoughts rhyming in her head, but then stopped, giving it a sturdy shake.

She felt like an idiot, meeting Roxy in Hyde Park as the _colleague_. She hated how sexist it sounded, but a female tailor? A woman measuring men's bodies, even feeling up around their crotch for the right inseam… how could she not have figured something was wrong then? Then with Eggsy jumping over balconies (he'd explained it was from his days of parkour… but still), the random and lengthy or extremely short work trips…

Eggsy is a _spy_. Like so many of the fictional characters she'd admired, looked up to – he was one of them. He fixed problems the world didn't know it needed fixing. He saved lives and countries and nations with the trigger of a gun, a disarming of a bomb, and the flip of a switch.

And somehow she was thrust into that world. Of _spies_. She still couldn't wrap her head around it.

"Enough is enough," she found herself muttering as she grabbed her laptop from her bedside table, bringing it to her bed as she opened it, waiting for it to boot up.

It really was enough. She was supposed to go back to her 'normal' life, however mundane it was already, to draw those who were involved in her parent's murder in the first place – but nothing was happening. All she did was go back to work, get Eggsy drunk, and continue to bake goods as though there wasn't a blinking target on her back.

She brought up Google, searching for 'Kingmsan Tailor Shop'. But no results showed up… none at all. It was a blank page of Google, something she'd never seen before. She frowned at the screen, and searched it again, pressing enter, but the same empty page loaded.

"Huh," she said, deleting the word 'Kingsman' and instead searching 'Tailor Shop', feeling somewhat foolish for thinking a Spy Agency was just a Google search away.

This time a string of tailor shops showed up in the results, a map showing the locations closest to her, most of them on the same street: Saville Row.

It was a place to start.

She closed her laptop and changed out of her sweats and into jeans. She grabbed her coat and phone, making sure Sydney had food before she left, locking all five locks behind her before she started walking towards a main street.

"Saville Row, please," she said as she finally climbed into a cab minutes later, her temper stirring and her confusion heightening in a weird mix that made her stomach feel unsettled.

She saw the driver give her a look in the rear-view mirror at her destination, but he drove through the streets of London like a maniac in the slight morning traffic, slowing down after a while at a street corner. He rattled off the price and she shoved the money at him, muttering for him to keep the change as she climbed out, looking around.

It was a rather short street; she could see the end of the block not too far up ahead. Expensive looking cars lined pavement on both sides along with parked cabs, and each storefront window showcased suits, fancy shoes, or even top-hats.

She started walking, looking left and right and then stopped when she recognized three suits... noticing the one in the middle was the one Eggsy had worn the first night when they were new neighbors. Sure enough, ' _Kingsman_ ' was there in gold text on the window. She climbed up the steps and opened the door, a soft bell ringing as it closed behind her, and walked through the second set of doors that showed the hours of operation. She paused and took her time to look around.

The last time she was here Roxy was rushing her home after the 'ordeal'. It looked like that one room back at their headquarters, the Dining Room, Amelia had called it: lavish green walls with dark wood paneling and accents.

Someone clearing their throat caught her attention. She turned to see the slender old man who was there the last time too. His eyes were staring her down, the pen in his hand hovering over the page of a notebook on the counter he was standing over.

She gave him a smile, her anger and confusion dissipating into a nervous feeling as she walked forward.

"Hello! I'm not sure if you maybe recognize me…?" she faded off, but he only continued to stare at her. She cleared her throat.

"Well, obviously I'm not here for a suit," she continued, glancing down at her jeans and tee before looking back up, "but I am here to see Merlin."

He continued to stare but she saw a faint movement in his other arm, reaching under the counter. She threw her hands up, showing that they were empty.

"Woah, hey, before you call in the brigade, just tell him Ariel's here, okay? Please?" she asked, keeping her arms up and her eyes on his.

He frowned and drew his hand back before nodding.

"Please sit, Miss."

She nodded and kept her arms up as she slowly backed away to the front of the shop where the sofas were, taking a seat. The man disappeared down a hall, the sound of his shoes hitting hardwood floors echoing throughout the silence.

She dropped her hands, bringing them to her lap as she twiddled her thumbs.

She'd made the choice on instinct to come here and now she wasn't so sure about it. She looked around: seeing the various fabrics in shelves along the back walls, a few empty mannequins in the corner, two tables with more fabrics and ties.

Looking around, she found her resolve, her hands coming into fists.

They dragged her into this – albeit without choice – but she still had the right to know what the hell was going on. Hell, they'd taken away the last memories she had of her parents; even though they were packed into boxes. They were gone, taken away by _them_.

"Ms. Renzella," she heard a deep voice and she stood up, turning and watching as Merlin came towards her, the other man now gone.

"Mr. Merlin, or it it just Merlin?"

His face was as neutral and blank as usual, his eyes boring into hers.

"Just Merlin is fine."

She sighed, looking around.

"This is really legit, you know that? Like Credit Dauphine from _Alias_ , though I admit a tailor is original, not like an 'Office Assistant' that Sydney Bristow was. I mean do you guys actually make suits for anyone who comes off the street?" she asked.

His eyebrow twitched, but that was the only movement in his face.

"Ms. Renzella, I figure that was your Google search?"

Her eyes widened, but she nodded.

Merlin looked down at what she thought was a clipboard until he tapped on the surface, treating it as an electronic pad.

He finished and looked back up, dropping the clipboard – whatever it was – to hold at his side.

She nodded awkwardly at the silence, rolling back on the balls of her feet.

"Nothing's happening," she blurted out.

He only stared.

She sighed and continued.

"I'm supposed to go back to normal, which I have, in a sense… I mean as normal as one can go back to after hearing that her parents worked for spies and that those spies hired other spies to figure out why they were killed and watch over me without my knowing…" she started pacing, rambling, surprised at how relaxed she was talking about it all, "And you tell me all this and you get angry at Eggsy and then you let me go without -erasing my memory or threatening to kill me- to be bait... but there aren't any fishes biting, Merlin. Where are the fuckers involved in all of this? How am I supposed to just go back to my life, knowing it's not normal anymore, when I know _they're_ out there?" she asked, pointing towards the street.

She turned to look at him but he only stayed silent. She frowned, taking in another deep breath. Might as well get it all out.

"And what the hell are you thinking, benching Eggsy like that? God, he looks so weird in jeans! I mean he looks good regardless, but what the hell? He didn't pass recruitment but he came back anyways, in a time of dire need, and you hired him! You wouldn't have done that if he wasn't good enough," she said, flashes of how lithely Eggsy moved, coming into her apartment, his gun aimed at her but hitting a target a couple of feet further. How he took down the other two men… demolished 'Mr. Fosser' with only his fists… "And god knows he's good enough, Harry wouldn't have recruited him if Eggsy wasn't able."

At the mention of the name Ariel noticed Merlin's eyes tense, his mouth coming to a straight line.

"Eggsy got-"

"Personal, yeah, we've been through that. But tell me, Merlin," she started, taking a deep breath. She didn't want to disclose her heart to such a man as Merlin – but for Eggsy… she would. She froze at that, surprised how much that thought had thrown her off kilter. She took a deep breath and shook her head, her original thought returning. "Who's to say that it wasn't _me_ that got personal with _him_?" she asked.

The ringing silence that echoed after her question let her know she'd hit a soft spot. She'd gotten somewhere – she knew it by the momentary surprised look that Merlin had let through, but he went back to his neutral face, staring down at her.

"Ms. Renzella, I'm sure you've seen enough movies and TV shows to know that in our line of work, relationships of such a… romantic stature are either destructive, fail to work, and are even forbidden."

She stared at him, trying to keep her face as neutral as his. He was right, but only partly. Yeah, there were movies and shows that showed how destructive spy relationships panned out… but then there were the ones that succeeded. Chuck and Sarah, Nikita and Michael, Sydney and Vaughn (minus the missing for two years plot-line)...

"So it's forbidden, then?" she asked.

He didn't say anything.

"Ah… I see," she said, shaking her head. "You want it to be… but if it was, then Eggsy would no longer be a part of this… agency, or whatever you call yourselves."

"Agency is the preferred term, Ms. Renzella," Merlin said.

"Fine, then," she said, remembering why she was there in the first place, "Then what the hell is this _agency_ doing to track down the fuckers that killed my parents? Nothing's happening, like I said. I usually consider myself a patient person, hell one can't be a babysitter slash nanny without a supreme amount of patience – but this is enough. I need to know what's happening!"

She took in a deep breath, realizing that she'd raised her voice. Merlin stood there, unmoving, staring at her. She opened her mouth again but Merlin held out his hand, motioning to the sofa.

"Please, Ms. Renzella, take a seat."

She huffed but sat down, Merlin sitting across from her at the other sofa, a coffee table between them with magazines and books she didn't bother to notice.

"There are two different types we deal with in our agency. There's the type that jumps right back up after being knocked down, and then there's the type that runs away like a dog with their tail between their legs, waiting for the next opportune moment."

She stared back at him, her mind reeling.

"They're the dog," she muttered.

Merlin nodded.

"They know that you no longer have your parent's… belongings, which I can tell you does indeed hold their research."

She stared at him, thankful and at the same time confused that Merlin was telling her this.

"What were they making?" she asked. "I think you can at least tell me that…"

To her surprise, Merlin nodded.

"It was a… concoction. Their research points to the fact that they were trying to create it in a pill form as well as a liquid form to drink… but overall it was for MI6, something to help their agents. The concoction, which we haven't discerned if they were yet successful, would heighten adrenaline, battle sleepiness, and even enhance the Reticular Activation System of the brain, which-"

"It would heighten reflexes, enhance attention to details…" she said. Her dad always loved the human brain. Said it was the best invention of mankind; and always talked to her about its many wondrous activities. She never caught on as much as he'd liked, but she learned enough to keep light conversation whenever her dad got into one of his 'moments', rambling on about the brain in jargon that neither she or her mother knew.

To her shock the corner of Merlin's mouth twitched up.

"Yes… that's exactly what it would do."

She nodded, bringing a hand to her face to rub at her eyes, her head working overtime.

"You said you don't know if they were successful…" she said, and Merlin nodded.

"We haven't finished looking through their research. But we know that with your parent's… accident… a part of that research was stolen."

Her heart caught at the mention of her parent's death; not a car accident but an assassination…

"However the fact that their research was stolen in the first place tells us that they were close to succeeding."

She felt her eyes get blurry and she reached up and rubbed the tears away, taking in a deep breath and holding it for a while before she exhaled, getting her tears under control.

"Ms. Renzella, we're still in the dark about whoever is behind this."

She nodded, rubbing at her eyes again, making sure her tears were gone before she looked back at Merlin. She blinked in surprise at his melancholic gaze.

"They're the dogs, tail between their legs, waiting," she said shakily.

He nodded.

"They know that I don't have their research anymore… they're waiting for the right moment," she finished, and Merlin nodded again. "What about Mr. Fosser?" she asked.

Merlin blinked at that, and his face went straight back to its neutrality. She felt as though he was drawing back…

"I'm in this, whether you like it or not, Merlin. My parents were _killed_ because of what they were working on… and now for some twisted reason I'm being hunted because of it. I have the right to know about this information, however classified."

Merlin's posture straightened even more – she didn't think it was possible – as he gave a curt nod.

"Mr. Fosser was an alias. He was a mercenary, hired through unknown channels to lead the operation with you and your parents. Him and his team were living across the street to keep an eye on you to wait until you received the other part of their research. Evidence showed there was a fourth, who has disappeared. I suspect they were the technical aspect of the mission, and he – or she – is still on the case."

"The dog," she said.

Merlin's mouth twitched again, and her eyes widened.

"Mr. Fosser was the man that Eggsy had kept alive."

She almost raised an eyebrow. Eggsy hadn't kept him alive; Merlin was the one to stop Eggsy from killing him.

"He was able to give some helpful intel: that they were indeed hired to obtain the research, that he was the head of the op, and that he had been trailing you since their death. But he didn't give us anything else after that."

She frowned at a few things. The first being the tense Merlin was using to describe Fosser, the second the whole being stalked and photographed. Then there was the fact that Mr. Fosser was head of the operation and Merlin had said he was a mercenary…

"He was the one that killed my parents, wasn't he?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

His unmoving face somehow told her the answer. She felt more tears come and stood up, turning away so he didn't see.

"You keep talking about him in the past tense. I suspect… the _agency_ took care of him?" she asked, looking over at the doors, resisting the urge to run to them and escape.

"Your conclusions are correct, on both parts."

Her breath caught and she brought her hands to her face to brush away the new threatening tears. She walked to the doors, feeling relief as she rested her hand on the gold plaque that told her to push, not pull.

"Pity," she said, pushing the door open but stopping in the doorway, looking over her shoulder at him. Merlin was still sitting on the sofa, staring at her with inquisitive eyes.

"You should've let me do it," she muttered before she left.

* * *

"I was thinkin' of makin' a nice dinner for Ariel," Michelle said out of the blue. Eggsy stopped in his swinging of Daisy, his hands on her ankles as he held her upside down. She was still giggling.

"Comin' down, Dais," he said and kept his arms straight as he bent down to hold his sisters head as he knelt down, bringing her to the tile floor in the kitchen at his house the Kingsman provided, which his mum and Daisy lived at.

She jumped up and ran away, muttering something about bubbles while Eggsy slowly turned to look at his mum, not sure how to continue. It was all casual until she dropped the bomb.

Ariel was still avoiding him, but she didn't seem as angry as she had before. He couldn't blame her, she had a reason… but it didn't mean he still couldn't hate the fact. He roughly remembered the night she invited him in when he knocked on her door, practically drooling over her Salmon; he hadn't had a home cooked meal in a while.

She got him drunk, and he willingly – he didn't need the liquid courage – talked about Harry. He didn't know if it changed anything, though, the way she abruptly sent him home. But he felt the shift in their relationship – and even had the hangover to prove it. It changed something; he just wasn't sure if it was for better or worse.

"She's busy recently, I'm sure she-" he started but his mom spoke over him.

"It's the least I could do with her hospitality towards us… I know it's been a while, but still."

Eggsy shook his head again. Ariel, at his _house_ for dinner, sitting at the table with his mum and sister…

"So you'll give me her number then? You must have it, bein' a … neighbor and all."

Eggsy blinked at the underlying tone she gave. Seemed she'd moved on from Roxy, which made him slightly happy – he was getting tired of emphasizing their platonic friendship.

He just wasn't sure if he could deal with her talking about Ariel in the same way… even if she was right about it. He didn't kiss platonic friends or feel a strange itch in his stomach when seeing them.

"She… she's been off with me," he finally confessed. He would aim for the most truth he could give, he owed her that.

Michelle frowned.

"Gary Unwin, what did you do?!" she raised her voice slightly.

He winced; she never called him by his given name anymore.

"Jesus, mum…" he shook his head and sighed, the lie forming in his mind, "I was playin' music too loudly one night with some friends and she blew up on me. We've been kinda rocky since."

Michelle stared him down as though knowing he was lying.

"I'm still going to call her. And yes, you will be there too. She's alone, Eggsy, I can't accept that she's alone and you don't have her back."

"I've got her back," Eggsy argued – his mum didn't even know the half of it; but she only shook her head.

"That's for me to see and find out, yeah? Just give me the number; you ain't leavin' till you do."

* * *

Her phone was ringing when she opened the door after a long shift at work a few days later. She rushed over, ignoring the caller ID as she picked it up.

"Hello?"

" _Ariel? Hey, it's Michelle._ "

Ariel blinked and nodded, and then stopped when she realized Michelle wasn't there.

"Hey Michelle! Are you trying to reach Eggsy? He gave me his cell number but he said he doesn't use it much-"

" _Oh no, dear, I wanted to talk to you! How've things been goin'?"_

Ariel blinked again. Oh, if only she could say what she wanted…

"Uhm, good, good. Quiet, and kind of boring as usual," she lied, unsure why but still pleased all the same that Michelle was calling.

" _Oh, well… hey, silence is golden, right? Listen, I wanted to invite you over for dinner._ "

Ariel stopped. She refrained from letting out a 'huh?'.

"Dinner?" she replied, unsure what to even say.

" _It's the least I could do with the hospitality you gave Daisy and I… I know it's been a while but I've just been caught up with work and getting' the house in order, you know. And Daisy is a thunderstorm, I tell ya._ "

Ariel did want to see Michelle again. Talk to her, maybe even talk about Mikey some more, or even about other things. She was used to being solitary, most of the time she preferred it - but it didn't stop her from feeling lonely. She got her daily dose of social interaction at work - but it was just work. When she talked with Michelle, it helped fill that lonely void, even if briefly. She could use a dose of that...

But Michelle was Eggsy's mother. And her relationship with Eggsy had changed drastically, to say the least. She still wasn't even sure how she felt about him; the resentment and hurt was gone, but there was still a small sense of deception she couldn't shake, the sense that the person she'd gotten to know, and become attracted to – _that_ was as far as she'd let herself think – was fake all along. Even though her early morning visit to the Tailor Shop had changed her mind about a few things...

Ariel tried to think of how to respectfully decline, but nothing came to mind.

"I can only imagine," she managed to say.

" _Well, dear, I want you to come over. I make a mean bangers and mash. Give you a taste of real homemade Brit cuisine, whad'ya say?"_ Michelle pushed.

Ariel looked over at the wall towards Eggsy's place.

" _How's Friday night?_ " she continued.

"Friday sounds great, Michelle. Thank you so much for the invitation," she replied in defeat. At least Michelle didn't say anything about _him_ being there, "It... it really means a lot that you thought of me."

" _Perfect! Eggsy can give you the address, see you then!_ "

"Actually I've got a pen and paper here-"

" _Sorry love, I've got to go, Daisy's in the fridge. See you Friday!_ " Michelle said quickly before hanging up.

Ariel brought the headset away and stared at it, blinking at the faint echo of a dead dial tone.

She slammed the headset down and grabbed her keys, locking the door behind her before she jumped the railing and onto Eggsy's stoop, banging her fist on the door.

She heard JB's frantic barks and waited, crossing her arms.

Soon enough Eggsy opened the door, his face brightening when he saw her.

"Dinner?!" she cried out before he could say anything.

He frowned.

"Sorry?"

"Dinner… was this you?" she asked and regretted it the moment she words left her mouth.

Bringing his _family_ between them like this, insinuating he would even manipulate them…

She shook her head.

"Shit, sorry. It's just…" she stopped and stuttered, meeting his gaze. He looked angry; she could tell his body was tense. "I'm sorry, I know you're not that kind of guy. I know you'd never – I'm sorry, Eggsy. It's just with the gifts, and you telling me so much…" she watched his body relax. "I'm confused, Eggsy!"

He tilted his head, a small grin appearing, and she wanted to blush and scream at the same time.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" she finished.

"I – I uh," he stuttered and then sighed, nodding his head.

"So, what, you'll be there too?"

Eggsy kept her gaze, staying silent.

"Oh, that's just perfect."

"I gave some crap excuse about a spat between us but she pushed-"

"Just give me the address."

"I'll have a cab pick you up," Eggsy said, and she shook her head, opening her mouth to protest, but he continued, "It'll cost you a lot, the house is far from the city. Just let me do that at least."

She stared at him, but finally nodded.

"I get off at five on Fridays, though something tells me you already know that."

Eggsy kept his face passive, not giving anything away, which answered her question.

"Of course you knew," she muttered, shaking her head as she made the trek down his stairs, walking down and around to her door, not jumping over the railing.

"Ariel," he called out after she opened her door. She stood still, her hand on the doorknob, not looking at him, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm sorry," was all he said.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Tell her to make whatever she likes, I don't have any allergies," was all she said before she walked over the threshold, closing the door and locking all five locks before she turned and rested against the door, her knees feeling weak.


	19. Chapter 19

The entire day Ariel was watching the time pass by.

Whether it was the small clock on the wall at the gallery which was three minutes early, her own watch which was a minute off but never found the time to change it, or the clock on her cell-phone, the only one she trusted.

Finally it was 5pm, time for her to leave; and she did so slowly, anticipating and dreading what was to come. She took her time saying goodbye to Ms. Cantrell, even making small talk before her boss got a call and dismissed her. She slung her purse over her shoulder and locked the gallery doors behind her, putting her keys away before turning towards the street.

Parked right in front was a black cab. A well dressed man, too well dressed to be a regular cab driver, stepped forward from his leaning position on the hood of the car.

"Ms Renzella, will you need to stop at your flat first?"

She silently shook her head – she figured her work clothes would be nice enough for dinner. If she went home she would've locked herself away and refuse to come out. As much as she wanted to avoid Eggsy, she couldn't do that to Michelle.

She walked towards the cab and the driver opened the door for her.

"I didn't catch your name," she said, holding out her hand. He smiled and shook her hand with a strong yet gentle grip.

"Mr. Brown, ma'am."

"Nice to meet you," she smiled nervously before she climbed in. It took him a moment before he smiled back and closed the door behind her.

She let out a deep breath as he started driving, trying to calming her nerves as she glanced around at the set-up: the drink tray, the cigars, the phone, the three clocks labeled 'London', 'New York', and 'Paris', the black screen that blinked with the Kingsman logo; all familiar from the cab ride home with Roxy.

She reached forward and awkwardly tapped at the screen, wondering what would happen. Her eyes widened as the logo stopped blinking, glowing bright before fading away, an outline of a handprint appearing on the screen, text reading 'Identification Required' blinking in the corner. She frowned and glanced Mr. Brown again who was still looking intently at the light traffic he maneuvered. He hadn't been signaled that she was trying to access information.

She ignored the screen asking for identification she couldn't provide and poured herself a drink from a random decanter, sniffing the glass.

Smelled like whiskey. She took a small sip and drew her head back, flinching and choking. Definitely whiskey.

She held the glass, not taking any more sips; more-so needing something for her hands to do as she stared out the widow, watching the change from the city of London to the suburban streets, the city lights decreasing in number, barely lighting the small highway they were driving on.

She put the glass down on the small bar and leant forward, tapping on the glass partition.

Mr. Brown jumped and he flipped a switch to lower it, his eyes still on the road.

"How much longer do you think?" she asked.

He shrugged.

"I'd say about ten, maybe fifteen more minutes, Ma'am."

She nodded. He nodded as well and the partition started rising, but she spoke again.

"How long have you been driving for them?" she asked.

The partition lowered again. She smiled at the small victory.

"Ma'am?" he asked, acting clueless, which made her grin.

"Please, call me Ariel. But put it together: I'm a regular civilian and an agent… something tells me an agent that you regularly drive for, asks you to drive me. Therefore I have to have at least a semblance of knowledge of the Kingsman - it's not as if I could've called your cab myself," she said blankly.

Mr. Brown's eyes widened when she said the name of the agency, yet he stayed silent for a moment before he cleared his throat.

"Your personal details were never disclosed, ma'am. I'm just simply doing my job," he said.

"Well, can you at least reply to my unanswered question, then?" she asked, wondering what it took to become a driver for such an organization. Did they pick random cab drivers and run background checks, or was the process more complicated than that?

Mr. Brown shook his head and she saw him grinning from the rearview mirror – he was diligent, always keeping his eyes on the road.

So that question was never going to be answered.

"Did you know Harry?"

The car swerved; a nearby car in the next lane honking as Mr. Brown brought the cab back to a steady motion.

"Hmm… I'll take that as a yes," Ariel continued.

Mr. Brown only shook his head.

"Ma'am-"

"Please, if you insist at least use Miss! I'm only in my twenties, mind you."

Mr. Brown grinned in the rearview mirror, but nodded.

"Miss… I-"

"You drove for Harry, so now you drive for Eggsy… who asked you to drive me."

Mr. Brown stayed silent. She sighed and leaned back in her seat, knowing she wouldn't be able to get much else out of him.

She rode in silence, watching the houses pass by. Mr. Brown made a turn and slowed down and stopped. The house in front of her screamed homely, reminding her of the house where she'd lived with her parents. It was a little bigger; a Tudor style house, with a large tree in front that held a makeshift swing of rope and piece of board and various toys and such on the lawn but in a rough organized order next to the rosebushes along the porch.

She took in a shaky breath, gathering herself. She tugged at her black skirt, making sure her purple blouse was tucked in under her jacket as Mr. Brown opened the door.

She turned, giving a fake smile as she climbed out.

"Thank you, Mr. Brown."

The corner of his mouth twitched.

"Of course, Ms. Renzella. See you later tonight," he said before he walked to the driver's side and climbed in.

She turned towards the house, taking a deep breath, holding the strap of her purse tightly as she walked up the cobblestone pathway to the front door, painted red.

There was a gold knocker in the shape of a circle and she softly banged it on the door twice before dropping her hand and stepping back.

Instantly there was a loud barking, and Ariel jumped. She'd forgotten they had a dog too… she vaguely remembered Daisy saying something about one when she first met mother and daughter on the steps of Eggsy's stoop.

The door swung open and her eyes looked around and then down, meeting Daisy's excited gaze, the barks growing louder. Ariel looked further down to see an Australian Cattle Dog come to a stop at the young girl's side, its tail wagging as it barked at her. Ariel smiled, realizing the barking was in excitement and not defensive as she knelt down to pet it, scratching behind its ears.

"That's Spade," Daisy said, giggling as he tried to lick Ariel's face.

She smiled and gave a final scratch to Spade's ears as she stood up, meeting Daisy's gaze.

"Hey, you!"

Daisy laughed, shaking her head.

"'Ello to you too!" the young girl said, her smile growing larger as she stepped back, pulling the door open wider.

"Ariel!" she heard Michelle call out as she crossed the threshold. She looked up to see Michelle walking towards her with a bright smile, wrapping her in a tight hug when she reached her. Ariel returned it, grasping at her as tight as she was held before letting go.

"I'm so glad ya made it," Michelle said as Daisy closed the door behind them. Michelle walked through the house and Ariel followed, Daisy and Spade on her heels.

"Thank you for being so hospitable-"

Michelle stopped in the middle of the hall and turned towards her, shaking her head.

"Like you said that time you were so nice to us: it's the least I can do."

Ariel nodded, smiling again. Michelle smiled back, reaching forward and squeezing her hand before turning to lead the way to the kitchen. Ariel looked around, seeing multiple photos of Daisy and a younger boy which she figured was Eggsy in the hall. She wanted to stop and look but instead followed Michelle, figuring she had the rest of the night to look at family photos.

She walked through the doorway of the kitchen and stopped short when she saw Eggsy at the stove stirring something; a wooden ladle in one hand, an oven mitt on the other. What she wasn't ready for was the pink frilly apron tied around his waist.

She refrained from laughing and only stared for a moment or two before Eggsy acknowledged the silence and looked up, meeting her gaze. His eyes grew wide, his hand coming still.

"Ariel!" he said, his free hand dropping to the frilly apron, pulling it off and bringing it behind his back.

"Apron, Eggsy, the apron!" Daisy said, sounding distressed as she kicked her legs against the cupboards beneath her, now sitting on one of the nearby counters.

Ariel raised an eyebrow, watching him expectantly. She stopped to memorize the sight of his cheeks turning pink as he brought the apron forward and tied it around his waist again. Michelle giggled along with Daisy, and Ariel tried to stay silent but a small laugh escaped.

"I went somewhat overboard, I'm afraid," Michelle said, "we've got lamb stew, garlic bread, bangers and mash, and even macaroni and cheese with bacon bits… thought it would be nice for ya to have something back from home. Not sure how it'll turn out though, it's my first try," she continued as she walked over to Eggsy, who brought his free hand up to his mother's shoulder as he continued stirring.

Ariel felt like drooling at the mention of all the food.

"The only thing to worry about is if the rest of you have something to eat! How can I help?"

Michelle only gave her another bright smile and shook her head.

"Too kind, my dear," she said as she flittered around her kitchen, grabbing a wine glass and a bottle of white from the fridge, twisting off the cap and pouring her a generous glass.

"My dear, you will simply relax, sitting right over here. Your company is help enough," she said as she lead Ariel towards a stool aligning the counter where Eggsy was stirring what Ariel figured was the stew, his pink apron quite the juxtaposition against his tan and black pinstripe suit – seemed he was back at work. He had his jacket off, still in the vest and his black shirt rolled at the sleeves.

Ariel only nodded at Michelle's command, smiling at her and taking a sip of the wine. She'd make sure to wash the dishes afterwards.

Spade took a seat on the floor next to her, eventually standing up and turning in a few circles before lying down, his head resting near her foot. She smiled, and looked back up at the scene.

She watched as Eggsy stirred the stew, muttering with Michelle about needed spices. Daisy stayed at her spot sitting on the counter, smiling as only a kid could as she watched her mom and brother.

A timer beeped and Michelle rushed to the oven as she put on mitts, bringing out a dish, a new smell filling the room. Ariel sighed in content at the aroma and took another sip of her wine as Michelle moved towards Eggsy, taking the wooden spoon from his hand, exchanging quieted whispers that she couldn't hear. Eggsy nodded and turned away, giving a small tickle to Daisy, her giggles filling the room as he brought out a serving plate and moved the sausages fresh out of the oven onto it with a fork.

Ariel's mouth twitched at the view of him and the pink frilly bow of the apron Daisy was making him wear. Her heart also twitched at the fact that he would do something as embarrassing as wearing such an apron to make his little sister content; the way he was with his mom, even with her there as an asset, as his _job_ … he seemed at ease. Like they used to be... before she found out about his job. It was _normal_.

"How was the ride, dear? Hope the cab didn't cost you too much," Michelle asked, now stirring the stew, taking a tiny sip from a spoon before adding a small bunch of parsley.

Ariel froze for a beat but then looked down at her wine, taking a sip of the cold and crisp Pinot Grigio, not sure what to say. She promised herself she wouldn't lie to Michelle, not after everything she'd told her in confidence. But it was just a cab ride, despite the cab being specifically hired by the Kingsman.

Eggsy cleared his throat.

"I arranged a cab for her, figured I'd save her the hassle," he said, his back still turned as he finished putting the sausages on the plate.

Michelle's eyebrow twitched, which had Ariel frowning, but then Michelle smiled.

"It's so lovely that the shop has its own service, so fancy, innit? I tell you, Ariel, it's saved me a load of money as well," she said.

Ariel nodded, smiling even though she felt that Michelle herself was putting up a front as she talked about 'the shop'…

"Is this your first time out of the city, Ariel?" she continued.

Ariel shook her head, taking another sip of her wine, feeling herself relax slightly.

"Here and there for weekend trips with my parents a year or two ago, but this is my first time in the suburbs," she said.

She and her parents had a great little house, but it was more on the outskirts of the city in a small town with a liquor store, camera shop, hardware store and even a Laundromat only a few blocks away. She cleared her throat before she continued, "I remember a trip to Wales with my parents the most, I was swimming on the coast and came close to a pod of bottle-nosed dolphins. And I've been meaning to take a trip to Ireland, even France. It's amazing how you're just a ferry ride or train away from everything."

"Why's it amazin'?" Daisy asked, jumping off the counter and climbing onto a stool next to Ariel.

She grinned at the company and shifted on the stool to face the young girl.

"Well, you know that I'm American, right?"

"The USA," Daisy said, looking proud.

Ariel smiled.

"Exactly. Well, it's quite a big place," she started, "but the thing is, while a ferry from here to Ireland takes maybe about four or so hours, in America, a road trip across the whole country takes a couple of days. In fact to even drive the whole length of California takes about eleven hours, and that's without stopping."

Daisy's eyes widened.

"Days?! Hours?!"

Ariel nodded, unsure if Daisy, who was still so young, knew that much about Geography; but she seemed intrigued enough.

Ariel smiled, reaching forward to brush a small bit of lint off Daisy's green dress. Daisy also reached forward, tugging on the collar of Ariel's suit jacket.

"This is fancy," Daisy said, looking at the outfit.

Ariel grinned and nodded.

"It is, isn't it? A bit too fancy for my taste."

"Why'da wear it then?" the young girl asked.

"It's for my work, I need to dress up."

"Can I try it on?" Daisy asked.

Michelle and Eggsy both started, telling Daisy it wasn't so appropriate to ask such a question but Ariel only shook her head, shrugging out of the jacket and turning it around to rest it on Daisy's shoulders, their protests falling silent.

Daisy grinned as she moved her arms into the sleeves, her hands barely coming halfway down. Ariel let out a soft laugh and reached forward to cuff one of the sleeves (multiple times) so it revealed one of Daisy's hands, quickly moving onto the next one.

Ariel sat back, smiling at the adorable sight in front of her.

"Very fancy. And it even matches with your pretty dress!"

Daisy bounced on the stool, smiling as she brought her now free hands to tug at the collar of the jacket that basically swallowed her whole.

"We're almost ready, Ariel, why don't you and Eggsy set the table? Plates and silverware should already be there," Michelle said.

Ariel's smile froze as she turned to meet Eggsy's fleeting gaze.

"Go on!" Michelle continued, pushing her son away. Eggsy took off the apron, coming around to them and giving it to Daisy, who put it on over Ariel's jacket, climbing off the stool and running around the kitchen to jump back onto the counter at her original spot.

Ariel held her wine glass tightly in one hand as she watched Eggsy come towards her, genuinely smiling as he nodded and held out a hand to show the way. She ignored his hand but set down her glass before she walked with him through another doorway, down a short hall and to the dining room, the clicks of Spade's paws on the hardwood floor following them.

The walls were a soft red and there was a big black table with matching black chairs, white seat cushions tied to each one, a kiddy seat was at one of the heads of the table.

"This is so… cozy," Ariel said, looking around at the framed pieces of pictures of the family, combined with what looked to be Daisy's own artwork. 

At Eggsy's silence, she stopped looking around and turned to see him slightly frowning.

"You say that like-"

"It's an amazing thing, not a negative one, Eggsy. C'mon, I'm not some stuck up snob, I say cozy and mean it."

Spade let out a whine and Ariel looked down. Spade's tail was wagging; his tongue hanging out the side of his jaw as he looked up at her expectantly.

"There isn't any food out yet, dear. _That's_ when you beg," she said matter of factly, bending over to scratch his head.

Eggsy let out a small laugh, but then cleared his throat as she straightened.

"Ariel…" he said softly. Knowing that tone of voice, she took in a shuddering breath, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"Let's set the table," she said, not looking at him as she walked forward to the small stack of plates, picking them up and distributing them on the placemats on the small table. Eggsy stayed silent as he grabbed the napkins and followed in her step, folding them and placing them next to the plates. She had finished setting the bowls when he spoke again.

"Ariel, I'm sorry that-"

"That what, Eggsy?!" she loudly whispered as she went and grabbed a handful of silverware, separating them by set for each placemat, her eyes averting towards the hall, not wanting to raise her voice.

Eggsy stepped close to her when she finished. She shook her head and moved away, bringing her hands to rest on one of the chairs, gripping it tight.

"What, exactly, are you sorry about? You keep saying sorry, it's lost on me now," she said, staring back at him.

His face fell, and he raised a hand to run through his hair, shaking his head.

"Everythin'… anythin' that's hurt you, that I had a part of, Ariel. Even this… I adored you even more when you invited mum and Dais into your flat so they weren't outside waiting for me. But with you here, now, bein' even more amazin', even though you gotta lie… for my sake-"

"I get it," she snapped, sounding angrier than she meant; the warmth that flooded through her when he said her adored her was fleeting. That trumped her annoyance, her slight anger.

Michelle was one of the first that she'd felt comfortable with talking about Mikey, and then Michelle even talked about Dean… she was deceiving Michelle, coming to dinner, lying – inadvertently – but still lying to her face. About who her own son really was, about who even she was, being mixed in with all of this.

Eggsy stepped forward and quickly grabbed her arm, his other hand coming to brush at her cheek, his thumb tracing the scar on her jaw as she froze, her breath catching.

"Ariel, I'll-"

"Oh, sorry," Michelle's voice interrupted, though she didn't sound so apologetic…

Ariel took a step back, Eggsy's hands falling as they both turned to look at her. Michelle only beamed.

"Dinner's ready."


	20. Chapter 20

The plates, serving dishes, and two bottles of wine were all empty, and Ariel was ready to implode.

The dinner itself was delicious - but everything else had her mind reeling.

Lying to Michelle was harder than she thought - what did Eggsy have to go through day in and day out, lying to her? For her own good?

Then there was the fact that Eggsy sat next to her - Michelle's doing - which was torture in itself.

Resting his leg against hers under the table, making sure their fingers brushed when passing serving dishes, and later putting his arm over the back of her chair, subtly tracing circles on her shoulder as he casually talked about the newest Monarch - Princess Eugenie of York, the 8th in line of succession, whom Valentine didn't manage to get his hands on. She was still having a rough go at it in Parliament, but the middle and lower classes loved her. Which to Ariel, meant she was doing better than ever.

Other than the touching, Eggsy was... himself. He was the same with his mother and sister, and even more adoring and adorable - than he was when he was with her. Cracking jokes, listening intently, putting in a good word in here or there. 

She was still trying to figure out what it all meant when she heard her name, as though it had been called repeatedly, and felt a sturdy hand shake her shoulder. She turned and looked right at Eggsy, his eyebrow slightly furrowed but a small grin on his face.

"Where'd you go?" he asked curiously.

She blushed and shook her head.

"Sorry, must've been a long week," she muttered, glancing at Michelle who was only smiling at her, and Daisy, who looked like she was about to fall asleep.

"Daisy wants me to tuck her in, I'll be back soon, 'kay?"

She nodded, pushing her chair back away from Eggsy's touch, and standing up. Eggsy and Michelle followed, Eggsy walking over to Daisy, lifting the tray and unbuckling his sister from the booster seat. She raised her hands and Eggsy smiled as he bent down and picked her up, tucking her to his side as she brought her tiny arms around his neck. Eggsy turned, still smiling so brightly that Ariel almost felt blinded, but she avoided his gaze and smiled at Daisy as gave a small wave.

"It was great to see you, Daisy."

Daisy grinned, her eyes still drooping.

"Thanks for makin' me fancy," she said drowsily. Ariel only smiled, and then realized that Daisy still had her blazer jacket on.

"Oh, your jacket. Here," Eggsy said, moving to put Daisy down, but Ariel rested a hand on his arm, shaking her head. He froze and turned to look at her.

She cleared her throat, ignoring the flush on her cheeks as she brought her hand back.

"I can get it later. I have a bunch of them, I won't be missing much."

Eggsy stared at her for a beat before the smile came back.

Michelle cleared her throat and walked forward, kissing Daisy's cheek and muttering goodnight.

"Go on up, we'll clear the table," she said as she reached for an empty plate.

"Goodnight, Daisy, sweet dreams," Ariel said, waving at Daisy who looked at her over Eggy's shoulder as he left.

"G'night Ariel," she muttered her eyes half mast.

Ariel watched as Eggsy walked away with Daisy in his arms with Spade at his heels as they disappeared down the hall.

She heard a clang of silverware on glass and jumped, turning around and avoiding Michelle's smiling gaze as she helped her clear the table.

They stacked everything they could, taking two trips to bring everything to the sink. Ariel had to almost manhandle Michelle to let her do some of the dishes – Michelle settled for her taking care of the plates and bowls, putting the silverware and serving dishes in the dishwasher.

Ariel washed the dishes as Michelle went around the kitchen, putting left out ingredients and spices away. She then filled a kettle with water, turning on the stove and setting it above the blue flames before she turned around, stepping to the side to lean against the counter, tilting her head.

"So, what's goin' on with you and my son, Ariel?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

Ariel sputtered instantly, almost dropping the plate she was scrubbing - expecting anything but that…

"Uhm, sorry?"

"I noticed you two durin' dinner… somethin's different from last time."

Ariel blinked, and turned back to washing the last plate.

What was she supposed to say?

" _Oh, yeah, I was falling for your son but he turned out to be a spy which meant the whole time we knew each other I was only a mission to him, so that kinda put a damper on things."_

Or even: _"Yeah, we're 'different' because I know what he really does for a living and now in some twisted way I'm a part of it. Oh did I mention I fell for him, too?"_

Instead she shook her head as she placed the last plate on the drying rack and rinsed off her hands, finding a towel on the oven handle to dry them off before folding it and putting it back.

"I don't-"

"He tried to get me to not ask you over, he tell you that? Told me ya two had a spat when Lee and Jamal were over at his place, playin' music too loud," Michelle said, moving to the pantry in the far end of the kitchen and bringing out a box of cookies. Ariel took that chance to digest the story Eggsy had told. Her heart turned cold as she formed the lie, and theatrically winced as Michelle walked back over to her.

"Yeah, might've not been one of my best moments, the way I went off on him… but I'd had a long week and wanted sleep," she said, her stomach churning at the lie.

"The only time Eggsy sees his friends is when they meet at The Black Prince pub. Told me he doesn't feel comfortable havin' friends over, says he sees it as rubbin' his own luck in their faces."

Ariel blinked.

She didn't see that coming.

Michelle walked towards her, resting the box of cookies on the counter as she took both her hands. Ariel had nothing else to do but to meet her gaze - caught - her cheeks feeling warm, not sure how to continue…

"I know somethin's up with him," Michelle continued, "that… that he ain't a tailor," Ariel tried her hardest to keep her face straight; she even tried to look confused - but was sure she failed, "There's a difference between you two from last time… and that's what tells me ya know the same. Maybe even more," Michelle continued.

Ariel found herself nodding, but then shook her head, turning away.

"Ariel..." Michelle said, waiting. Ariel took in a deep breath before looking back at her. This was what she had feared most by coming here. She knew Michelle was a smart woman - there are only so many instances that Eggsy being a tailor could make sense before... but then again a Mother knew best. Unlike _her_...

Suddenly the positions were switched. She was Eggsy, hiding a monumental secret from someone close... and she was a at a loss for words.

"Michelle, I… I can't. I… but I-"

"I hate it, Ariel," Michelle said, her voice cracking as her eyes grew wet.

Ariel stepped closer, but Michelle shook her head as she continued.

"I hate that I don't know - but know at the same time... a part of me is so proud that he's following his father's footsteps, but I'm just waitin' for the day when another man in a suit comes along-"

"They won't," Ariel interrupted. She blinked, not realizing what she had said, and shook her head. She shouldn't be saying this… but for god's sake, it was his _mother_. She needed to feel comfortable about her son's safety.

She almost let out a small laugh as she re-lived Eggsy in action; taking her down at her feeble attempt to defend herself against a stalker (which turned out to be him), saving her from a speeding car, jumping from balcony to balcony, taking down the men in her apartment. Michelle had nothing to worry about.

_'And neither do you.'_

The thought was sudden, piercing her mind, and she blinked again.

"I… I can tell you, with confidence, that no more strange men in suits will be visiting you, giving you a Medal of Valor," she whispered, as though if she said it any louder someone would come and take her away for breaking such protocol, "Your son is... he's... almost impenetrable."

Michelle's eyes widened.

"He told you 'bout-"

"He told me _nothing_ , Michelle," Ariel said, her voice turning stern as she reached forward with both hands to grasp at hers, "he told me nothing, and I know nothing – just like you."

Michelle's eyes moved back and forth, looking at Ariel and she finally nodded.

"My dear girl," Michelle said softly and Ariel shook her head, pulling back, closing her eyes.

The kettle whistled, making them both jump.

"I hear the kettle, mum, but Ariel's more of a coffee gal," Eggsy said as he entered the kitchen. Ariel dropped Michelle's hands and stepped back.

"Chamomile is always the perfect way to end the night, my dear. It might even help ya sleep!" Michelle said, almost too animatedly, "I've seen the untouched jars I bring over to your place… got half a mind to make ya drink it in front of me."

Ariel's heart was still beating in overdrive, wondering if Eggsy was really just arriving from putting Daisy to sleep or if he'd been listening in on the two of them all along. She'd broken protocol, even though she never said anything about him outright. But still, she wasn't that subtle…

Eggsy smiled, shaking his head as he walked over and grabbed an oven mitt before turning off the stove and moving the tea kettle. He looked around and frowned.

"And the tea isn't even ready…" he said, fading off as he looked at Ariel, but she stared at the kettle.

"Girl talk, Eggsy," Michelle said, turning away and searching through the cupboards, bringing out a glass teapot with a metal press and a jar of tea leaves, preparing the teapot and giving it to Eggsy. He nodded silently and poured the boiling water, the smell of the chamomile flowers filling the room.

Ariel made the mistake of looking at Eggsy, who was staring at her. She gave a fake smile and turned away quickly, not ready to face him yet. After everything about this night - even before this confrontation with Michelle - her mind was still reeling from everything.

"We've got only a little while, I called a cab for us," Eggsy said, breaking the silence again.

Michelle looked at Ariel for a fleeting moment before grinning and nodding her head.

"We've got travel mugs, Ariel," she said, and turned around, grabbing said travel mugs from a cupboard and bringing them down. 

Since the tea had barely any time to steep, the three of them fell into an awkward silence, staring at the pot of tea.

Eggsy's phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket, glancing at the screen.

"That's the cab, mum. Time to go."

"Shit," Michelle said, shaking her head, "No tea tonight, you two," she said, letting out a sigh. 

"I'd love some of the leaves to take home on my own... I only have tea bags at home," Ariel said quickly. 

Michelle smiled brightly and moved quick to grab a ziplock bag and pour some of the natural Chamomile leaves inside, almost to the brim, before she zipped it closed. 

The three of them walked to the front door and out onto the cobblestone path. Sure enough, Mr. Brown was on the sidewalk, his cab parked behind him.

Ariel stopped and turned towards Michelle, opening her arms wide as she stepped forward and wrapped her in a big hug.

"Thank you, tonight was delightful, Michelle."

"My pleasure, the least I could do, dear," she said, returning the hug. Ariel squeezed her arms, holding Michelle tight, only wishing she could tell her that this was just what she needed now – something to pull her mind away from what she was really going through.

Tonight's dinner had been the perfect distraction; she just didn't know it until now.

"You'll be alright. You've got my number," Michelle whispered softly before pulling back. Ariel held onto her hands and nodded before letting go, stepping back and readjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder. Michelle held out the bag of raw tea leaves and Ariel took it, tucking it into her purse, knowing she would need it tonight.

"Thank you, Michelle," she repeated.

"I'll be callin' again; it's nice to have guests over, good reason to keep the house in order."

Ariel smiled, shaking her head.

"This house could be a pigsty and I'd still want to come over."

Michelle actually flushed, but shook her head. Ariel smiled and took a few steps back, leaving mother and son alone.

Michelle turned towards Eggsy, her face opening up in adoration as she reached forward and hugged him tightly. He did the same, tucking his head against hers, his eyes closing tight.

"Bye, mum."

"Until next time, deary," Michelle whispered before pulling back.

Ariel turned away, acting as though she hadn't heard anything as they said their goodbyes. She felt a hand on her elbow and turned – not flinching – towards Eggsy who was smiling down at her.

"You ready?" he asked.

She only nodded, smiling and giving a last goodbye to Michelle before she walked with him towards Mr. Brown, entering the cab.

It was a heavy silence as they drove through the suburbs towards the city, there might as well have been a miniature elephant sitting between them.

She broke the silence when they got on the highway, taking in a deep breath.

"She knows you're not a tailor," she said softly, still looking out the window at the slowly diminishing suburbs.

She heard him take in a breath.

"She called me out on your story about Lee and Jamal and playing music too loud and trapped me in the lie, too."

"She doesn't know like you do, but she knows I followed my dad; something secret, something dangerous," he said, sounding resentful of the fact.

She nodded.

"But they can't _know_ ," she said softly, finally understanding.

He nodded.

"It would hurt them. Having to hold that secret, of the agency," she continued, the pieces falling into place in her mind before she finally turned to look at him.

His eyebrow twitched and he looked confused but nodded.

She nodded back, turning to the window.

"I understand now," she said, watching as the suburbs of the short houses and businesses turned into the looming towers and high-rises of the city. Watching him with Michelle and Daisy, he was completely himself; exactly like he was with her. "It was a betrayal from my parents: keeping me in the dark. I trusted them with everything… it just seemed they weren't doing the same. And I can't even yell at them about it-" her voice cracked and her eyes grew wet.

She felt him grab her hand and squeeze it tight.

"I mean I know I wouldn't have been able to save them, but if I'd known…" she took a deep breath.

She still felt this residual hurt, but the reason of it was dawning on her now.

"If I'd known, I wouldn't feel so helpless. It's terrible to say, but there was a meaning. For some reason it's better for me to know that yeah, there are shitty and terrible people in this world that killed my parents over their work rather than accept that hey, accidents happen: they got in a car crash and died."

He squeezed her hand again. She took a deep breath, and fell silent. He kept a hold of her hand, the heat from his skin radiating through her.

She broke the silence again, voicing her mind.

"You were real tonight."

"Real?" he asked so softly it was barely a whisper.

She took a deep breath and pulled her hand back but kept it on the car seat between them as she turned to finally look at him.

"That was the initial reason I was angry at you," she said as she met his eyes. He was waiting, his eyes boring into hers. "I'd found out who you really were, and it all occurred to me. That you were getting to know me under this false pretense… for _protection_... what if you were false as well; only acting and behaving - manipulating my emotions to get what you needed to get closer to me? That this guy I'd… that the person I'd gotten to know was a character? Not someone real?"

He shifted in the backseat to get closer to her, their hands touching again. He moved his pinky finger to hook onto hers and she didn't pull back.

"But you were… _you_ … tonight. The person I'd gotten to know," she continued, holding onto her bravery as she kept his gaze.

He stared back and then moved his hand to sandwich her hand between his. She flushed at the touch and looked down, his hands enclosing hers; she couldn't even see her fingers…

"Ariel," he said, and then faded off, squeezing her hand. They were surprisingly soft, though the more she looked at his hands the more she noticed that there were small scars on his knuckles, and the space between his thumb and forefinger was calloused – from holding guns.

"If you weren't a part of this, if you were just my neighbor… even if I wasn't who I was and… shit, Ariel, even if I'd just happened to see you at that Deli, readin' your book… I would've done everythin' the same."

"You know that I found out about you… about who you were to me as a Kingsman, _after_ that first morning we met. I…" he stopped and looked away, almost guiltily.

"You what?" she whispered.

He looked at her again, meeting her gaze.

"The sound of the movin' truck woke me. I drank my mornin' coffee, had time to kill before I went into work, and watched you. Saw you standing there on the street, holdin' Sydney, yellin' at the movers after they broke a chair. Even watched you take down the mover who bothered to ask for a tip."

She stared, speechless. 

"But it only seemed like you'd needed help until after the movers left and I saw you draggin' that dresser up your steps, using that carpet to help you… the genius that you are… and that's when I came out."

She stared at him, now expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

"And then I did, and you stood your ground… and then you told me about Sydney's name, joked with me about _24_ … even as we moved your things in, you were… alive. You babbled and stuttered when you noticed me lookin' at you. And you cracked jokes that were so out of my league, yet others were so odd or cheesy or corny that I couldn't help but laugh or grin."

He took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'll say it again, Ariel. If you'd been just a normal girl, not someone who turned out to be a part of my job – I still would've come over that night. I still would've come over every other time, hoping for a glimpse into your life. Even if I wasn't… me," he faltered.

She could only stare at him, her eyes wandering up to a lock of his hair that had fallen over his brow. Before she even knew what she was doing her hand was moving up to tuck it back into place. The stray bit of hair stayed for only a moment before dropping down back into its original spot.

He shook his head and leant forward, giving a soft kiss on her temple before he wrapped his arms around her. She found herself tucking her head into his shoulder, holding him just as tightly.

She didn't even notice they'd arrived home until Mr. Brown cleared his throat and not so subtly knocked on the clear partition. She jumped back, Eggsy sighing as he withdrew his arms.

She looked around and saw Mr. Brown coming around to her side to open the door, holding out a hand for her. She blinked and took it, daring a glance at him, smiling softly as she muttered a thank you, more embarrassed than anything. She'd basically interrogated him on the drive over about Eggsy, and there she was on the way back home, caught in his embrace. She walked with him around the car and to the sidewalk where Eggsy was waiting for them.

"Thanks, as always," he said, smiling and shaking Mr. Brown's hand.

Ariel could only stare. The multiple times she'd watched Eggsy climb into a cab, the now familiar face of Mr. Brown was always behind the wheel…

"Of course, sir," Mr. Brown said, smiling as he shook his hand.

"Say hello to Gwen for me, yeah?" Eggsy replied, dropping his hand as Mr. Brown nodded.

"Will do, sir," he said and then turned to her, holding out his hand again, "Pleasure to have met you, ma'am."

"Now, Mr. Brown, what did we talk about?" she said raising an eyebrow as she shook his strong grip.

Mr. Brown looked chagrined as he rephrased his goodbye: "Pleasure to meet you, miss."

She nodded, smiling.

"The same, Mr. Brown. Thanks for the rides," she said.

Mr. Brown's eyebrows twitched, but he nodded and left the two of them on the sidewalk, climbing back into the cab and driving off.

"Care for a drink?" Eggsy broke the silence and Ariel turned her gaze away from the now empty street to look at him.

She slowly shook her head, but the way Eggsy's face fell had her talking.

"I'm beat, Eggsy," she said, taking a step forward and faltering. He only stared at her, and she continued, "This whole night has just… I just need to…" she faded off, realizing she was going nowhere and shut up.

Eggsy cleared his throat.

"I…"

"This isn't me being-" she started again, "this isn't me blowing you off, I meant when I told you in the cab, that I-"

"Ariel," Eggsy said, and she shut her mouth, taking a deep breath and giving a weak smile. She sighed and stepped closer to him.

"I didn't know until you and I were standing outside the house, hugging and saying goodbye to your mom… but I needed tonight."

His eyebrows twitched, but he still kept her gaze, staying silent. She wanted to yell at him, change that unknowing look on his dumb, handsome, stupid face… but instead shook her head and continued.

"I also need sleep… but I'm looking forward to more dinners, Eggsy. I might even invite them over here."

He smiled brightly, just as he had when he was holding Daisy, and her heart stopped.

"I'm countin' the days, Ariel."

She nodded, her heart catching, and before she said anything else she turned around and climbed up her stoop, hearing the footsteps of Eggsy doing the same on his own. She stopped at her door and turned towards him, seeing him waiting as he always did, making sure she went in first.

"G'night," he said, still smiling brightly.

She nodded, stuttering and then stopping, taking in a deep breath.

"G'night, Eggsy," she said, finding herself mocking his accent.

He let out a laugh and her heart fluttered and she reached for her doorknob for balance.

"Terrible. I quite like it," he said.

She wanted to shrug and nod at the same time but it came out as a jumble of her upper body moving randomly. She shook her head, rightly this time, as she unlocked her door and opened it, sparing a quick glance at Eggsy who was staring at her with his lips drawn tight as though he wasn't trying to laugh.

She smiled and then went inside, locking only two locks, resting her forehead on her door as she listened for the sounds of him entering his flat and locking the door behind him, her heart beating quickly. She still felt the warmth of his arms…

It all slowed down when she felt, more than heard, the residing silence.

She turned around, facing her apartment. It was too quiet, where was-

"Sydney?" she called out as she looked around, taking a few steps forward as she shrugged off her coat and hung it up on the hook next to her hall table.

However instead of Sydney greeting her, she heard a familiar voice that turned her blood cold.

"Honey, you're home."


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: (Ex)spousal abuse.

_"Sydney?" she called out as she looked around, taking a few steps forward as she shrugged off her coat and hung it up on the wall next to her hall table._

_However instead of Sydney greeting her, she heard a familiar voice that turned her blood cold._

_"Honey, you're home."_

* * *

For a couple of months after she saw him for what she thought was for the last time, his final words had haunted her:

_'Mark my words bitch, you're not rid of me. I'll be seeing you again!'_

She'd believed him; knew what he was capable of. For a while after his voice had followed her; a customer at the grocery store, a classmate whispering in the lecture hall, she even once heard his actual singing voice on the local radio station while driving and had to pull over before she broke down crying.

It had been at least a few more months since she'd purged his voice, imaginary and real, from her mind and memory.

But it was his voice she heard now.

And she wasn't imagining things.

"What's got you out so late? You know how I hate it when you stay out late."

Her skin turned colder as his voice filled the silence; she heard his heavy boots – she knew how heavy they were – thumping on her hardwood floor, soon appearing in the doorway from her kitchen. He stood there, watching her, his large frame blocking the light; with his black curly hair, freckles, leather jacket and all.

Her hands were shaking as she dropped her keys into the bowl on her hall table. And on the underside of it was the gun Eggsy gave her. She'd installed it as soon as Roxy had left, using leftover nails and her IKEA tool set to attach the holster to the bottom of the table.

She moved fast, bending to reach under the table, her heart falling when she felt the holster – but no gun.

"Looking for this?"

She stood up straight, her eyes coming upon the gun aimed right at her.

"Quite a piece you've got here, nothing I've ever seen before… but it's not a toy, you know," he said, though with the way he was waving it around, he treated it as such.

She took a small step forward.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

He winced and shook his head, making a dismissive and belittling tch'ing noise.

"Language, babe."

She bit her tongue and refrained from biting his head off with a string of curse words while at the same time wanting to scream for help.

He was acting _normal_ ; as though they'd seen each other just that morning and exchanged pleasantries. When they were together, such mornings meant her avoiding his gaze as she quietly made breakfast for both of them, focusing on getting the eggs just right and not spilling a drip of coffee to stay safe. All the while he would go on about something or other while he lounged at the table, smoking a cigarette and acting as though the night before he wasn't connecting his fist with her face, stomach, her ribs…

He was now acting as though _the_ fight: the broken bones, the hospital, and the court proceedings never happened. She realized she was back where she was with him: hopeless. Again. He was the one holding the _gun_.

Should she make a break for it? Yell out for Eggsy?

"Where's Sydney?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"That damned thing? It scratched me so I stuck her with some glass. Probably curled up in a hole to die, we can only hope."

"You fucking son of a-"

"Ah, ah, ah, _language_ ," he said, shaking his head and raising the gun.

She stopped, taking in a shaky breath. Him and his language... he was free to cuss at her and her 'mistakes' but as soon as she said the word 'hell', he was up in arms about it. 

He said something about glass… she turned to look at her back door and saw a mess. The glass panels were broken in, the soft curtains ripped and in a pile on the floor. She was pretty sure it was a small trail of blood she saw that headed down the hall and up the stairs.

Sydney.

She took another step but Mikey made that tch'ing noise again and she stopped. She raised her hands to show a sign of surrender as she kept her calm, trying not to scream in anger as she begged.

"I won't do anything – just let me see if she's okay," she said slowly. She wanted to say 'please' but that would elevate his level in the situation.

Mikey titled his head.

"I told you she scratched me. I'm hurt, Ariel. What about me?"

She swallowed her dry mouth, trying not to roll her eyes despite her inner panic attack.

"Let me get some antiseptic, I'll patch it up for you," she said, trying her best not to look at the gun. A semblance of a plan was going through her mind, but she couldn't let Mikey know it.

She met his eyes and almost flinched. She recognized that glazed over look: red-shot eyes, pupils almost at half mast. Whatever he was on now, she knew it was mixed with alcohol; she could even smell it. But his actions: him breaking through her backdoor, acting as though they were together again... he was on something else as well.

"Don't want it to get infected," she continued, mapping out her house in her mind. The wall she was closest to was on Eggsy's side… if she got to maybe the bathroom, kitchen, even upstairs, she could bang against the wall and get his attention – if he was still awake. She could only hope he would have trouble sleeping and go out to his balcony… he'd have to notice her broken door.

Mikey was a wild card. The smallest thing would set him off when they were together – she didn't want to imagine what would happen when she set him off while he was holding a gun and high on something.

"Here," she said, taking a step down the hall towards the bathroom and kitchen. She felt cold metal push into her neck as Mikey grabbed her from behind, turning her and shoving her face first into the wall – she turned her head at the last moment and winced when her cheekbone hit the surface. He stepped close behind her, crowding her body with his, reminding her just how big he really was. She closed her eyes, trying not to cry, picturing to herself that he wasn't really there, bringing up how weak and useless she felt when he was around her.

"You stay right there. I'll go get the Band-Aids and shit."

He pressed the nuzzle of the gun deeper into her neck and she took in a breath.

"Okay," she said shakily, her eyes still closed.

His body and the gun left her and she heard Mikey's stumbling steps down the hall. She opened her eyes to watch him finding the bathroom, disappearing through the doorway.

She slipped her feet out of her heels and took soft steps down the hall, barely making any noise with her stockings.

Mikey was muttering and making a mess of her bathroom, she could hear as he opened drawers and a crashing noise echoed down the hall. She reached the doorway and peeked through, risking moving one eye around to see what was going on. He was cursing now because one of the drawers he'd pulled out had fell and landed on his boot.

With Mikey so occupied she raced to her kitchen, grabbing a knife and rushing to the wall she knew was on Eggsy's side, banging her fist a few times.

She stopped and waited to see if Mikey had noticed, but she heard only more cursing and sounds of things being thrown about as he searched for Band-Aids – which were under the sink – she'd never really had a need for Band-Aids that much recently.

She frowned, thinking of something else that could get Eggsy's attention.

She needed his help. He had guns. He had spy training. He could take Mikey down. She'd probably suffer worse injuries than Mikey had ever given her if she tried to fight back on her own now... he had her gun, was high on who knows what... he could _kill_ her and not think anything of it.

But she wasn't dying tonight.

She rushed to the kitchen and opened one of her cupboards, grabbing two mugs as well as a knife from it's holder on the counter before rushing towards the back door, coming up to the balls of her feet to maneuver around the doorway the best she could, using the ripped curtains to step on so she didn't cut her feet on the glass.

She stepped onto the door tracks of her balcony and turned, throwing the first mug over onto Eggsy's balcony. It didn't break… just bounced and rolled, making a clang as it hit the far railing.

"Shit!" she cried out softly, holding her breath as she stepped onto the balcony, ignoring the small pricks of pain she felt on her feet as she stepped up to the railing, coming up on her toes and throwing in a down arch, putting everything she had as she threw the second mug.

It broke, shattering into pieces.

She didn't have time to exhale in relief as someone grabbed the back of her head, pulling on her hair.

"Fucking bitch!" Mikey seethed behind her.

She cried out and moved her hand back with a shove, bringing up the knife to stab at him. His grip released and she looked towards Eggy's door again.

" _Eggsy_!" she yelled out, close to a scream.

She turned and stepped around Mikey and didn't bother tiptoeing around the glass, cursing when she felt a cut on the bottom of her foot.

"I swear to god I'll shoot, bitch!" she heard him yell, hearing the crunch of glass under his large boots as she stumbled back into her flat.

She ran to the bathroom, slamming the door and leaning against it, her heart and even her brain pumping heavily, her head throbbing.

The mugs were her last hope, and now she was alone to fight him off.

Eggsy could've been dead asleep already. Maybe he had to rush out for some mission. Maybe a neighbor heard the commotion and was calling the police. Maybe… maybe… maybe… that's what her fate was riding on. If he didn't have her gun, it might've been different…

The door rattled behind her with a thump. She let out a sob as she pushed on the door, willing for the lock to hold. It only took Mikey two more kicks before it cracked open, throwing her forward.

She turned, arching her arm with the knife, barely nicking his jacket before he grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm at the wrong angle. She cried out, her hand losing it's grip, the knife clattering to the floor as he wrapped his arm around her neck from behind.

"Good girl," he slurred into her neck. She tried to twist away, bringing up her other hand to try and wedge it between him and her body, but he kept his grip tight, cutting off her breath as he brought the barrel of the gun to her neck again, "Stay still… good girl," he said as he took a step back, using his arm around her neck to drag her into the hall.

"What are you doing here? How – how did you find me?" she asked, her breath hitching from the pressure on her neck.

"That kid… Dylan was his name, yeah? Your mum and dad's little lapdog."

She froze, her breath catching at the words, and more-so at the fact he still had an arm around her throat.

Didn't Dylan know about Mikey? She was sure that Dylan knew about him, she'd gotten into fights with her mom about him in the lab when the first bruises started showing. She vividly remembered the embarrassment of her mother's raised voices while the other students pretended they weren't listening as they did their work, and she knew for a fact Dylan was one of those students that had heard it all.

She saw something out of the corner of her eye and struggled in Mikey's grasp so she could look without being obvious.

She almost cried out in relief when she saw Eggsy on her balcony: gun in hand, pointed at them; but she stayed silent, her mind reeling. He couldn't _kill_ Mikey… they couldn't just cover that up so easily – a policeman's brother?

"No!" she cried out, shaking her head, using the movement to turn and meet Eggy's gaze. He blinked, his eyes widening, his arms slightly falling.

Mikey, with his head still in her neck, didn't notice Eggsy and thought she was replying to him.

"Yeah, he didn't recognize me, the idiot. All those times I came to your parent's lab. Your bitch of a mother never-"

She yelled out and raised her foot, kicking back at his knee and dropping her weight to wrench out of his grasp as soon as it relaxed. She turned as soon as she got free, her fist flying and hitting Mikey right on his jaw, adding another punch to his Adam's apple.

Mikey choked and stepped back, her gun finally dropping from his hand as he reached to clutch at his throat. She stepped forward and was able to get in an uppercut, his head flying back and hitting the wall he was leaning on. She drew back to punch him again but he kicked out and hit her stomach. She fell back, hitting the wall as she yelled out.

She heard another yell and saw Eggsy flying through the air as he hit Mikey hard, tackling him to the ground.

They rolled down the hall and Mikey ended on top, his fist coming down hard on Eggsy's face, his head snapping to the side. Mikey pulled his arm back to hit him again but Eggsy caught his fist and twisted around his arm, kicking off the floor to land on top, getting in a few punches, a squirt of blood erupting from Mikey's nose. He grabbed Mikey's jacket to lift him up and then slam his head on the hardwood, Mikey letting out a groan as his arms became limp.

Eggsy stopped and rolled away, coming to his knees and looking at her.

"Ariel, are ya-"

"I'm fine. Don't-"

"Where's the gun?"

"Eggsy!" she cried out, her eyes widening and she could only watch as Mikey's foot arched around and hit Eggsy's side. She turned away wincing, but she had to find the gun.

She crawled to the hall, the sounds of the two men fighting filling the air as she looked around. She scrambled to her feet when she saw it lying on the ground nearby. With shaking hands she picked it up, testing the weight as she walked back her living room, following the sounds of the fight. With the weapon in her hand... the man in question in her home... she ran to her living room and grabbed a small pillow. She'd seen it in the movies to suppress sound...

When she turned around the doorway she saw Eggsy sitting on top of Mikey again, his arms flying, the sounds of punches echoing in the air. His knees were on either side of Mikey's large frame, locking in Mikey's arms.

Eggsy stopped soon enough, grabbing Mikey's collar and shaking, his head banging against the hardwood floor again.

Ariel stepped forward, still unnoticed, the gun tight in her grasp.

"She's _mine_ ," Mikey spat out, more blood from his mouth and his nose flying.

Eggsy shook his head and fidgeted with his fingers. Ariel noticed he was wearing a pinky ring, which he was pressing at with his thumb and she heard something like an electric charge before he brought his hand to Mikey's neck.

Ariel could only watch in surprise as Mikey's body twitched about – as though being tazered.

"I don't think so, bruv," Eggsy seethed as he drew his hand back, Mikey's body finally coming still. He only let out a choked and broken laugh, though, still conscious.

Eggsy reached into his jacket pocket – he still had his suit on – and brought out a pen, twisting off the cap. Ariel raised an eyebrow, wondering what the hell he could do with such a menial object but gasped when Eggsy brought his hand down and stabbed Mikey in the chest with it.

Eggsy flipped up the small clip used to keep the pen tucked in and brought a hand to Mikey's neck, lightly strangling him.

"If ya liked my ring, you'll love this. It's poison, ya know what that is, eh? I flip this little switch and ya dead in seconds," Eggsy said, his tone of voice so menacing; nothing that Ariel had ever heard before.

Mikey stilled and stopped struggling against him. Eggsy grinned, his own mouth bloody as he looked down at him.

"Now listen here, an' listen well. Ya made a huge mistake, comin' after her."

Ariel stepped forward, wanting to hear everything, wanting to see the look of defeat on Mikey's face – even if it wasn't her that put it there.

She almost smiled at the sight of Mikey looking helpless like she had so many nights: the blood and cuts on his face, even the pen sticking out of his chest had Ariel feeling some sort of relief.

"But I'm feelin' generous, so Imma let you go. But if I ever hear your name, if I see ya face ever again, I'll finish ya," Eggsy reached up and pushed the pen further into Mikey's chest, ignoring the cries of pain as he continued, "I don't care about ya connections, bruv, I know about ya brother. Even _think_ about coming back, I'll make ya regret it. And if I see ya again, I'll make sure ya never see her or anythin' else, ever again. Ya get me?"

Ariel's heart caught – she could even feel Eggsy's rage.

"Ya get me?" Eggsy almost yelled it this time, leaning even closer to Mikey, pushing the pen further down a little bit more so the small switch was almost reaching Mikey's shirt. When she heard Mikey whimper, it was as though the sound stirred her into action.

She cleared her throat, stepping forward again, raising her arms to aim the gun at Mikey, using both hands to hold it like she saw Eggsy had done, the pillow forgotten at her feet. Fuck the noise, fuck everything... he had come back as though _nothing had happened_.

They both turned to look at her, but Ariel kept her gaze on Mikey's bloody face. He looked back at her through one good eye, the other bloody and swollen shut by Eggsy's doing.

"Ariel…" Eggsy said slowly, but she shook her head.

"Why wait for him to come back?" she asked, noticing her hands and her voice were shaky, but she readjusted her grip and held on tightly to the gun, her finger ready to pull the trigger but not touching it.

"Ariel, give it to me," Eggsy said softly, standing up, taking a step towards her.

She looked over at him, his hand reaching for her, waiting. She shook her head, walking around them, the gun still aimed at Mikey. Thankfully the bastard was staying silent.

"Self defense," she said, her voice as shaky as her stance, "he came to me. I'm not in breach of the fucking restraining order if _he_ came to _me_."

"You don't-"

" _He_ attacked me. He broke in."

"Ariel…" Eggsy faded off. She tightened her grip on the gun as she aimed it at Mikey.

She wanted to kill him.

Forget him rotting in jail: she wanted to end him, easy as that. Make sure that no one else was on the receiving end of his sick and twisted mind, his violence, his abusiveness, both mental and physical...

She was aiming at his heart. She'd never fired a gun before, but knew if she kept her stance, kept her tight grip, she'd hit her target. She'd never killed anyone before, but the pain in each of the scars she gave him almost renewed their pain. The feeling of being scared each time he took out his anger on her... she felt ready. Ready to kill him. 

Mikey moved to stand up quickly, stumbling at first but gaining his footing as he stared at her, his gaze turning deadly. 

She kept her arms straight, her grip steady now - she wasn't shaking anymore.

"Weak little-"

He was cut off as Eggsy dropped to the floor on his hands and kicked his legs out, knocking Mikey off his feet. She blinked at how quick it was, but then focused on Mikey crawling away as he rested on the other side of the hall.

She found her steady grip again, her aim pointed right at Mikey's chest...

"I swear to god if you take one more step, if make another move towards him I will fucking shoot you."

Mikey coughed and spat some blood at Eggsy's feet before turning to face her. She blinked at all the bruises and cuts on his face, the pen still stuck in his chest. He followed her gaze and winced as he pulled it out and tossed it to the side.

"No you won't babe. You're too weak."

She let out a shuddering breath, her knuckles turning white she was gripping the gun so hard.

Mikey shook his head.

"You're the weak type, could see it from a mile away. It's why I chose you. A weak little duckling ready for a beating-"

She lowered her aim and pulled the trigger. She jumped back at the loud noise, followed by a cry of pain. She blinked at the ringing sound in her ears quickly fading as she watched Mikey clutching his leg, a spot of blood in his jeans growing.

Ariel took a few steps forward, still holding the gun. She knew that he'd listen to her now.

"Do you remember your broken nose and arm, or should I re-jog your memory, though these will be with a little more kick."

Mikey stayed silent, still looking at her.

She opened her mouth to continue but suddenly there was a crack and her door was thrown open. A big, scruffy looking man stepped forward, eyes wide.

"What's goin' on? Thought I heard a gunshot-" he stopped mid-sentence at the sight in front of him, "what… the hell?" he said, looking at Ariel, then at Mikey and Eggsy on the ground. He raised his hand which had a cell phone in it, his finger about to tap the screen.

A whizzing noise broke the silence and Ariel saw a small dart hit the man's neck. He didn't have time to say or do anything else as his eyes rolled up and he crumbled to the floor, unconscious.

Ariel turned to look at Eggsy, sitting against the other wall, his arms raised with his hand on his watch. He sighed and rested his head against the wall as he dropped his arms, swallowing as he looked up at her.

"You were sayin'," he said softly, his eyes at half mast. Ariel frowned but Eggsy gave a short nod as she turned back to Mikey, remembering what she wanted to say before the stranger interrupted. She quickly turned back and grabbed the pillow she'd forgotten - seemed she should've used it before. 

"Do you remember the _last_ time you hit me, Mikey?" she asked, gun in one hand, pillow in the other.

His eyebrows twitched, his eyes glaring at her. She grinned, and nodded.

"Yeah, you do. I fought back, remember? Didn't expect that, did you? Tell me, did you hit all of your girlfriends? Did you abuse them like you did me?"

Mikey coughed and winced, groaning, but then he grinned, showing a mouth of blood. She didn't waver from his gaze.

"Only you, love," he spat out, more blood flying from his mouth.

She raised her arms again, closing one eye as she aimed at a specific point on his chest, bringing the pillow forward, taking in a deep breath to steady her aim before she pulled the trigger on him a second time, the sound of it muffled.

Mikey yelled out, his body seizing for a moment before he went limp. 

Ariel sighed, not even surprised as tears rolled down her cheeks. She dropped the pillow and the gun, stumbling back, falling to the ground when her back hit the wall.

Eggsy was there the next second, holding her face, turning her head to look up at him.

"Ariel," he said slowly, one of his hands moving over her face, the other running down her arms.

"I got his spleen, I think. I didn't kill him," she muttered, her eyes out of focus. Eggsy took in a shuddering breath but nodded.

"I called in for some back-up the second I heard ya yell out. They should be here soon."

She found herself nodding as more tears streaked down her face.

"Ariel," he said again, and she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her onto his lap. She tucked her knees in and savored the feeling of his embrace as she started sobbing and he muttered comforting words to her.

She frowned when she felt his grip slowly soften and then release on her, his body falling limp.

"Eggsy!" she cried out, turning in his lap, her hands coming to his face. She gasped and pulled back, only now realizing how beat up he was.

Mikey looked beaten up enough, but the blood on Eggsy's face had her crying even harder, her body shaking as she gripped his face, yelling his name.

" _Eggsy!_ " she flinched as she slapped him hard on the cheek, but he stayed unconscious. She brought her hand to his neck and let out a breath of relief at the faint pulse under her fingers.

But then it hit her - her dad had taught her enough that falling asleep after any kind of head injury was never good…

"Eggsy," she whispered before she slapped his unconscious face again, hoping he would wake.

But he didn't. She slapped and yelled and screamed, but he didn't wake up. She stopped, knowing it was hopeless, and let the tears come. She tucked her head on his shoulder.

"Stay with me," she whispered, holding him tight, her own vision blurring, her head feeling weak. But she made sure to stay awake. Staring at the bullet wound on Mikey's abdomen slowly bleeding out onto her hardwood floors kept her eyes open.


	22. Chapter 22

The dream - well, _nightmare -_ was happening again.

She was hiding in her kitchen, holding two knives, waiting for the masked men to come. She stabbed and cut the feet of one of them, fought off the other who grabbed her from behind… running to her front door to escape. Said front door would always break open to how a faceless man step through and shoot her point blank, making her wake up in a cold sweat.

But this time, Mikey stepped through. He flexed his fingers with a grin on his face, brass knuckles on both his hands glinting in the light.

" _Hey, babe. It's been a while."_

She shot up in bed, crying out.

She looked around, her heart beating even faster when she realized she wasn't having the nightmare in her own bed.

She frowned, but her body froze as she recalled the events of last night.

When the Kingsman finally arrived at her flat, they first took Mikey to the hospital where the police were waiting for him. She then yelled at the techs until they finally gave up and let her ride with Eggsy in a large black unmarked van (that was an ambulance) where she stayed in the corner, her hands wringing on her lap as she watched the medics render him stable and clean up his injuries with what they had. They then boarded a helicopter where Ariel stayed in the corner yet again, this time hanging onto her seatbelt as the medics watched over the unconscious and now not so bloody Eggsy as he laid on the gurney, bandaged but still unconscious.

She remembered Roxy being there when they finally landed, holding Ariel's head down from the slowing blades of the chopper as Eggsy was rushed away on a gurney, shouts and yells from the exchanges between the medics and Merlin. She barely got to see the vast mansion that was their Headquarters before Roxy pulled her inside, using an elevator and turning multiple corners before she was inside a small room with a single bed and desk.

Ariel didn't even remember falling asleep. She checked her arms for needle marks - maybe they gave her a sedative - but found none.

She sighed and looked around, taking in the now familiar dark navy wallpaper, wood trims, simple furniture. She pulled back the covers and moved to stand on shaky feet, taking a few steps to regain her composure and getting used to leaning her weight on the foot that wasn't bandaged from cuts from the glass of her back door.

It was too much like déjà vu; waking up alone in a room after someone broke into her apartment, a black shirt and a pair of sweats for her to change into waiting for her on the nearest surface.

Except this time, she knew what was happening. She knew everything.

She ditched her clothes and changed into the shirt and sweats, going barefoot yet again as she opened the door and stepped out. Instead of the cold concrete of the medical hall, this one had a green carpet, which felt pleasant on her bare feet.

She heard someone clear their throat and jumped, turning to see Roxy standing across the hall, arms behind her back as she watched her pensively. Ariel patted her hair, but Roxy only shook her head as she stepped forward and wrapped her in a big hug.

Ariel blinked in surprise but returned it, closing her eyes tight, breathing in Roxy's smell of gunpowder and jasmine as she tried not to cry.

"He broke in, I didn't even-"

"You're okay now."

"Sydney!" Ariel cried out, stepping back, shaking her head, "I think he stabbed her, I saw the blood but I… he had the gun and I couldn't – and I had to-"

"She's fine, just a cut. She did need stitches though, but she's a tough one; she's back at home, waiting for you."

"I'm not going anywhere until I see Eggsy's okay," she said, and blinked at the determination in her voice, "Where is he?"

"He's okay, Ariel-"

"Where is he?" she asked again.

He'd saved her. She was in trouble – _again_ – and he was there.

"Ariel-"

"Where. Is. He?" she asked tightly as she stared at Roxy

She stared back but finally nodded, walking forward and linking their arms together, Roxy helping her limp down the hall.

"So, the spleen, eh?" Roxy said as they turned around a corner.

"Huh? How do you-"

"He was conscious for barely a moment and his words were 'holy fuck, she shot him, is she okay?'. Amelia then hacked the surgery report from the hospital. The swine had to have it removed; and he's still in recovery, which must be uncomfortable with handcuffs."

Ariel let her grin linger before she shook her head.

"Oh, well, I didn't want to kill him," she said as they turned another corner. She shook her head again. "Actually no; that's a lie. I just... _couldn't_ kill him," she faded off as they reached a metal door.

Roxy looked back at Ariel, her face straight, showing nothing. Ariel stared back until Roxy nodded, reaching forward to open the door and pulled them through.

Ariel's heart caught as she stepped forward into the room, the recognizable beep of a heart monitor filling the eerie silence. It was a room similar to the one was in her first time here when recuperating on a medical bed; the one major difference being no two-way mirror, and even no cameras. Seems the agents got their privacy…

She then saw him in the bed, unconscious, linked to tubes and wires... she took in a deep breath, holding it so she didn't break down sobbing.

She felt like a fool now, going to the shop a week before and complaining to Merlin that nothing was happening. Maybe she'd jinxed herself doing so… this was too much. However now that she thought back on it, someone was constant...

Her life turning upside down with Eggsy as her anchor – the dinner, the talk with Michelle, and Eggsy… Eggsy was there throughout it all. Just _there_. Whether for drunken talks or mid morning runs or helping with hangovers; actually laughing at her jokes, interested in whatever random fact that popped into her mind…

Her hip bumped into the bed and she reached forward with a shaky hand to brush at a bruise on his jaw. There was another larger and bluer bruise near his left eye and he had a few cuts, one or two closed with butterfly Band-Aids. It was a better sight from witnessing him unconscious and bloody in her arms as she yelled at him to wake up. She took in a broken breath, it catching as she tried to calm her oncoming tears.

"A few fractured ribs, a concussion, cuts and bruises, but he'll be fine," Roxy said causally.

"Concussion isn't 'fine'! Why isn't he awake?" Ariel replied somewhat loudly, she then looked down, embarrassed.

"Ariel…" Roxy said, and she took a moment before she looked up. Roxy had on a slight grin, which had her frowning, which Roxy then laughed at.

"Eggsy is known to be… stubborn in the healing process."

Ariel's mouth twitched as Roxy continued.

"So we sedate him sometimes if such injuries require bed rest, or even basic rest for that matter."

She looked back to Eggsy, sleeping soundly in the bed.

Was he ever injured like this after coming back from a 'business trip'? She remembered once or twice he said such a trip would be a few days, which stretched into a week or two.

She turned back to Roxy.

"Can I – can I have a moment?"

Roxy nodded with a slight frown.

"Of course… but Ariel, he's been through worse. You needn't worry so much, okay?" she said as she walked backwards towards the door, "just give a shout if you need anything."

Ariel looked back at Eggsy as the door closed.

 _Worse._ She almost shuddered at the thought, but Roxy's attitude somewhat comforted him. Before she knew it she was climbing onto the bed with him, tucking her body against his and bringing her hand to lightly feel his left side where she felt the bandages for his fractured ribs through the hospital gown.

She moved her hand to rest on his heart. She sighed in relief as the small bumps under her hand beat in time with the beeps of the heart monitor, her head rising with his chest as he took in each breath.

Soon the beeping turned into a buzz, filling in the silence and making her eyes droopy.

"Thank you," she muttered before sleep overtook her.

* * *

Someone was stroking her hair, tucking it behind her ear, brushing the scar on her jaw as she awoke.

"Wake up, sleepy-head," Eggsy said, his voice sounding dry.

Her eyes shot open at the sound of his voice and she sat up.

"Eggsy!" she cried out, her hands coming to his face. He winced when she touched his bruises and she pulled back but he wrapped an arm around her to keep her on the bed with him.

He was staring up at her, his mouth agape as though in surprise.

"You're really here, then?" he asked, his arm tightening around her.

"I'm here," she replied breathlessly, smiling back. At that his eyes squinted his smile was so big, and she heard the beeping of the heart monitor quicken in pace.

"Are ya okay?" he asked.

"Really?! That's what you ask… _am I okay_?" she muttered.

She stared down at him, and without a second thought leant forward, lightly kissing the bruise on his jaw, barely pulling back to kiss the other bruise on his eye, his breath catching. The beeping of the heart monitor picked up in pace even more. She moved her head to kiss at each of the cuts on his face, her lips brushing the bandages.

"Ariel," he said breathlessly, his arms pulling her on top of him and hugging her tight. He tucked her head into his neck, and she did the same, breathing him in.

He was okay. He'd saved her life, for the _third_ time. She knew she could hold her own: she held off the men attempting kidnap, and hell, she'd gotten Mikey a few times… but he was there to finish the job in a way she never could.

' _I'll always be there, Ariel,'_ he'd told her, and he wasn't lying. He'd never really lied. He was being himself while his job told him to get to know her; he gave as much of himself as she gave to him.

Without a second thought she raised her head and brought her lips to his, tears breaking through her closed eyes and dripping onto his face; he only took a split second before he was returning this kiss, his arms tightening around her as he kissed her back. When she gasped he took the moment to devour her and all coherent thought disappeared. She felt consumed by him: the slow, drugging kisses, the way he held her tight, a hand moving to cup the back of her head as though to keep her there...

However from her subconscious she heard an erratic beeping noise and realized it was the heart monitor going haywire. She gasped and pulled back.

"Holy shit," he whispered, still holding her close. She kept her eyes closed, listening as the beeps of his heartbeat slowed down.

"Ariel," he continued, his hand moving from the back of her head to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing the scar on her jaw again. She opened her eyes and pulled back slightly, keeping his gaze. "You got 'im,."

She blinked, more tears escaping as she shook her head, pulling back and freeing a hand to wipe at her face and reaching forward to wipe off her own tears on his cheeks.

"You took him down," she whispered, "I only pulled the trigger."

He frowned and shifted his body, her feeling every move, including when he froze and winced, an arm coming to his left side. She pulled back but he tightened his other arm, still holding her, stopping her from moving.

"Where is he?" he asked, his voice deep.

"In handcuffs at the hospital."

"Then why'ya cryin'?" he asked, frowning as he reached forward to brush one of the last tears away.

She brought her lips to the larger bruise on his face before pulling back and shaking her head.

"You got hurt because of me… 'cause of-"

"Hey," he interrupted, shaking his head, "I've gotten worse, believe me, yeah? When I saw him throw you like that I just… but you're okay?"

"Who the fuck cares, Eggsy?!" she cried out, trying to pull back again but he moved his other arm to reach around her back, keeping her close as a grin spread across his face. "You're the one in a fucking hospital bed, please just let me-"

"Yes, Galahad, please, let her do… whatever she was going to do."

Eggsy's tight grip on her loosened and then pulled back, keeping her gaze and raising an eyebrow, looking almost amused at the interruption.

Ariel, not bothering to look at Roxy frowned at him as she stepped down from the hospital bed, her shaking knees taking a moment to stabilize before she turned around and then froze.

She didn't expect for Merlin to be there too, staring them down with an inquisitive gaze.

"Well, now we know why the EKG went haywire," he said, his eyebrow twitching. Ariel turned away as she blushed. So much for 'not personal'…

"Sorry, um…"

"Hey, I ain' complainin'," Eggsy said casually. Ariel's eyes widened as she turned to him.

"Eggsy!"

"What?" he asked, shrugging and then wincing, his hand coming down to ribs, breathing heavily. But he was still smiling, almost a goofy smile…

"You need rest, Galahad. Not partake in… extraneous activities," Merlin said.

Ariel slapped a hand to cover her eyes and groaned as Roxy bit back a laugh.

She felt Eggsy take her other hand in his and she turned, dropping her hand from her eyes. She couldn't help that the corner of her mouth tilted up as she looked at him.

"It's back to being real," he muttered, his eyelids at half mast, that goofy smile still on his face.

She tilted her head.

"Real?"

"Your smiles. For _me_. They're back to being real."

She blinked; glad that she herself wasn't connected to an EKG so Merlin and Roxy didn't know how fast her heart was beating just then. She sighed, dropping her hand from Eggsy's as she turned back to Roxy and Merlin.

"Is it just me or is he loopy?" she asked.

Roxy grinned.

"It's not you, it's the sedative mixed with opioids... for pain."

Yup, sounded about right.

"Right, well, now that's all... cleared up, Lancelot has offered to take you back home, Ariel," Merlin started, "We need to let Galahad rest, he-"

"I'm fine! In tip top shape, bruv, when can I go home? I've got more smiles comin' my way."

Ariel watched the corner of Merlin's mouth just barely twitch and she turned back to Eggsy on the bed, eyes wide.

"Ariel," he muttered, his eyes fluttering, his voice barely there.

She moved her hand to cover his mouth, not wanting to know what he'd say next but with surprising speed his arm came up and caught her wrist.

"Does this mean you'll make me croissants?" he asked, the end of his question fading off as his hand fell limp, his eyelids flittering closed as he passed out.

So it wasn't as bad as she thought.

"Croissants?" Roxy echoed, sounding intrigued.

Ariel took a deep breath before she turned around to face them.

"I… bake."

"Yeah, he told me," Roxy said, and Merlin's head snapped towards his agent as she continued, "but _croissants_?"

Ariel shrugged.

"The dough itself isn't complicated; it's getting it into flat and triangular pieces to roll without falling apart; that's the tricky bit."

Roxy only smiled, and Merlin cleared his throat.

"Right, well… Ms. Renzella, as I said… Lancelot has offered to take you home," Merlin repeated.

Ariel nodded, giving a small smile at Roxy.

"Lead the way, _Lancelot_."

* * *

"Was that your first time pulling a trigger?" Roxy asked, breaking the silence in the long 'elevator' ride that would bring them to the tailor shop.

Ariel shrugged.

"Was I right?"

Ariel nodded again.

"It is empowering," Ariel said softly, "and _who_ I was aiming at… it's sick to say but… it made it all the better."

"It's not a sick thing to say. Definitely not in your position," Roxy said, and Ariel blinked again.

People had never addressed it so blatantly - not even her parents - when it came to her abuse and her abuser...

She kind of liked it.

"Right…" was all she could say.

The 'elevator' stopped and Roxy opened the door, leading them out into the main room.

Ariel glanced around, finding familiarity from the last time she was there; all on a whim to yell at Merlin. She stopped at the desk where the slender white haired man stood, and held out her hand.

"I'm Ariel, by the way," she said, smiling at him.

He stared down his nose at her, and then her hand. To her surprise he reached forward and grasped it in his own, shaking it with a firm grip.

"Mr. Bridgmont, Miss."

Ariel smiled as the man kept a passive face.

"Right, well, nice to finally meet you," she said, and he only continued to stare down at her so she turned away, her and Roxy walking out onto the street and into a Kingsman cab.

"He isn't used to such attention, don't take it personally," Roxy said as they drove off.

Ariel only shrugged.

"He was the same standoffish way when I met him the first time."

Roxy raised an eyebrow.

"You were here... at the shop?"

Ariel nodded, turning to the window to see the city passing by as she sighed.

"I was… it seems stupid now, but I was getting impatient. Nothing was happening in regards to who killed my parents, the whole me being bait... it was more like me just unloading on Merlin. He took it surprisingly well."

At Roxy's silence Ariel turned to see if she was okay; but instead saw Roxy looking perplexed.

"You talked... with Merlin," Roxy said, as though clarifying.

Ariel raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Yeah. I mean it wasn't so conventional, I even Google searched this place but no entries came up so instead I took a cab to Saville Row and looked around until I found it. Mr. Bridgmont had his hand on an emergency trigger or what-not before I convinced him I wasn't a threat."

"You… talked… with Merlin."

"He's not so… he's not as untouchable as one would think. I even saw his mouth twitch once or twice. Is he always so... stoic?"

Roxy only nodded.

"For as long as I've known him. There was this one time… he was the one to uhm, give me the gun when I had to shoot Athena," she cleared her throat, shaking her head. "I tried to hold them back but a few tears escaped after I pulled the trigger, keeping my eyes closed tight. He cleared his throat and asked me to open my eyes, saying it was alright, congratulating me," her mouth twitched up. "He actually smiled at the surprised look on my face when I saw that Athena had laid down at the sound of the blank going off, but her tail was wagging."

"A full blown smile? Lucky girl," Ariel muttered and Roxy laughed, shaking her head as the cab slowed down and stopped in front of her flat.

"You've got my number, right? If you want any updates on Eggsy just text, but he should be out soon enough."

Ariel nodded, avoiding her gaze.

"Thanks for the ride… again. And hey, at least this time you don't have to give me another gun, right?"

Roxy shrugged.

"I like to say the more the merrier."

Ariel blinked, but then shook her head.

"I think I'll manage with just the one, thanks. Though I need to think of a new spot, Mikey found mine under my hall table."

Roxy furrowed her eyebrows, thinking for a moment.

"Don't stash it so close to the front door, either put it somewhere upstairs, or maybe even hidden in your kitchen in a cereal box or something," she said.

Ariel stopped, a pleasing yet stupid idea forming in her head.

"Uhm… are, uh, are you needed back at… work?" she stuttered, regretting the moment she asked.

Roxy raised an eyebrow but shook her head, the corner of her mouth tilting up.

"Not really," she said slowly.

Ariel sighed, and shook her head.

"Sorry, uhm, god this is pathetic… would you uh, like to come in? Maybe show me the perfect spot?" she asked. Her eyes widened after she realized what she had said. "For the gun, I mean; perfect spot for the gun." She shook her head again, pulling back but stopping when she heard Roxy give a short laugh.

"I would love to, Ariel," Roxy said grinning, shifting on the seat. Ariel stepped back as Roxy climbed out and leant into the cab towards her driver, saying something softly to him. He nodded and smiled as Roxy stepped back and closed the door.

They both watched him drive away and turn the corner at the end of the block.

"So," Roxy said, turning to Ariel, "do you have wine?"

Ariel laughed but stopped when Roxy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I _definitely_ have wine."


	23. Chapter 23

A rice cooker.

Ariel was surprised it could even fit a _gun_ , but that was the spot Roxy chose.

Ariel seemed unsure but Roxy pointed out it was the last place someone would look; given that it was tucked away in her island cupboard and not so obviously accessible. However accessible enough if Ariel found herself – again – in such a situation where it would be needed.

Despite Ariel's protests, Roxy announced that she'd have another gun delivered and she even re-installed the holster to Ariel's bedside table using the toolkit Ariel had gotten from Ikea.

"Like I said, the more the merrier, I've got at least four different pieces at my place."

However on her sofa after a glass of wine and with Sydney purring in her lap, Roxy was a different girl. She wasn't a spy; she was just… Roxy.

She asked about _Alias_ , which had Ariel doing a double take, but she played the pilot episode anyway. When it finished Roxy just laughed and said:

"Pretty close… let's watch another!"

And then after the second episode Roxy blurted out about connecting with Sydney and her dad, both caught in the CIA/SD-6 crosshairs… Ariel turned off the TV and turned with a raised eyebrow.

That was all it took for her to spill details about her life growing up, and Ariel had never felt so oddly empathetic.

"So you were trained for everything… without even knowing?!" Ariel asked refilling Roxy's glass -her third- with the bottle of Pinot Grigo she'd brought out.

Roxy shrugged, petting Sydney absentmindedly.

"Learned Krav Maga when I was eight, shot my first gun when I was thirteen, multilingual at fifteen… my family was always the defensive and bookish type, I guess. Just didn't really click into place _why_ until my – until I was approached for the 'interview'," she said as she took a sip.

Ariel stared, and then shook her head.

"I was… I learned the Periodic Table at eight. Didn't shoot a gun until last night… Did you know _why_ growing up? Why they all-"

"They told me I was gonna be special when I grew up… that's it."

Ariel raised an eyebrow, and shook her head.

"That's more than my parent's ever told me…" she muttered.

Roxy shook her head.

"But that's different. Scientists raising a scientist… it's different from an investment banker and a lawyer raising someone who could shoot guns and take someone down twice her size with a couple of hits," Roxy said before she downed the rest of the glass. She said it so casually… she wasn't showing off about it. It was just who she was.

Ariel frowned, leaving her own glass on her coffee table untouched.

Roxy cleared her throat, and Ariel looked up.

"Ariel, your parents-"

She flinched and pulled back.

"Nope-"

"It needs to be said."

Ariel reached forward and grabbed her glass of wine and took a big gulp, shaking her head.

"It would've been better coming from-"

" _Knowing_ is a major part of the danger. Just like with Michelle and Daisy. Just like with my parents, who never nor will ever know _directly_ what I do even though they trained me for it - but it was in my family. And the same was – is, with you. If you'd known about your parents earlier on, while they were still alive... you probably would've been captured and tortured until you told whoever it is behind… _this_ … about your parents and what they were doing."

Ariel stared at the glass in her hand, her fingers on the bottom distorted through the wine.

"But _why_ do they want me, if I didn't know? They're dead… and I know now, but it just doesn't make sense," she said, putting her wineglass down and bringing her legs up to hug her knees.

Sydney meowed and stepped off of Roxy's lap to walk across the sofa cushion and rub her head on Ariel's leg. She smiled weakly and reached to scratch the top of her head between her ears.

"I have a theory…" Roxy said, shrugging. "Merlin doesn't agree with it so much, but it's the only one so far. The thing is… if they wanted just the research, they would've broken in when you were at work and just taken what they needed. But they came when you were there and they didn't kill you; they tried to take you."

Ariel tilted her head but nodded, small pieces of the puzzle falling into place…

"They had so many chances…" she muttered, "but they wanted me alive. The way I fought back, they could've," she took in a shaking breath but continued, "they could've killed me in a split second… But why me, then, if I didn't know about what my parents were really doing?"

"From what we barely know, your parents were successful however only partially, and that was with animal testing, not human. 'They' – and I'm only theorizing – think that you can help create the concoction and make it a success."

Ariel frowned.

"What, hold a gun to my head and say 'go to work'?"

Roxy shrugged.

"As I said, it's just a theory. But it explains why they want you alive. You're a scientist as well."

Ariel scoffed.

"I'm an assistant at an art gallery-"

"You were raised by a top Neurologist and Chemist!" Roxy interrupted with a slightly raised voice, "you just told me you learned the Periodic Table of Elements when you were _eight years old!_ Children that age are learning to count to one thousand and are starting multiplication tables… I mean for god's sake you were even one of the top students at the Cambridge Physics department!"

Ariel flinched.

Yeah, she knew that, she remembered it; she _lived_ it. She sometimes even missed it, but at the same time was glad to be away from what she was basically forced to do. She remembered her parents always being diligent and particular about her science grades throughout Jr. High and Highschool, and when it came around time to apply to colleges her father sat her down and told her how important and economically efficient a scientific job would be, and gave her the choice of what she wanted to do – as long as it was in a scientific field.

So she went with Physics. Theoretical on most parts; it was a department where she could imagine rather than be forced to do more math like Chemistry required, or memorize the details of the brain and blood cells that Neurology entailed. She loved her parents –she still did– but she never wanted to be them…

"What did you study, by the way? There's already the Laws of Physics, what else is there to develop in such a field?"

Ariel grinned, and shrugged as well.

"Physics is… a part of it is trying to understand why things exist, such as how the universe began, or even what the true definition of 'matter' is, but there's also the imagination – or as the teachers used: 'theoretical' part of it, such as weather and natural elements and understanding… even converting… such power. Such as kinetic energy released within a hurricane or even the electronic energy of a lighting storm…" she faded off then, remembering what she really was studying before she dropped out of Cambridge.

All purely theoretical: it was harnessing a lightning's power to convert to electric power – convert the million volts of energy from two or three lightning bolts, and it would be enough to power all of London.

Roxy cleared her throat, drawing Ariel out of her thoughts and held up her empty wineglass, half smiling but also frowning.

"Shall we open another, or would that bring on more dark topics?"

Ariel frowned, erasing her thoughts as a new one popped in her mind.

"Why did you want to watch _Alias_?" she blurted out, immediately regretting it. She shook her head and then stood up, taking the empty wine bottle and moving to the kitchen to recycle it. "Never mind," she said as she passed through the doorway and into the hall, "I don't want to-"

"What, you thought it was just random?" Roxy asked, following her, "as though he didn't tell me all about you?"

Ariel shook her head again, dropping the bottle inside her recycling bin as her heartbeat went into overdrive.

Roxy was there at the island across from her, frowning, hands splayed out on the counter.

"Did you know while you were passed out on that bed at headquarters, he never left? He even had a _mission_ , but he pawned it off to someone else, giving an expert excuse about the new agents needing some action. Merlin was livid but let it pass - he was right, after all, the newcomers did need action. But that didn't mean that Eggsy gave up a mission, for-"

"Another mission! Because that's what I was – what I am, right?" she shouted out.

She blinked, pulling back. She wasn't sure where that came from. She trusted Eggsy again – he was being himself the whole time, so not everything was built on a lie.

But he was still an agent and she was still an _asset..._

She shook her head.

"Ignore me... please."

Rosy raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure, cause I've got a whole speech planned from that one stupid statement..."

Ariel shook her head.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Roxy titled her head. Ariel stared at her, trying not to blink but failing, letting her eyes close as she looked away.

Roxy stepped around the counter, towards her, frowning, that stern look gone.

"Ariel-"

"He's there because of me!" she took in a breath as a sob wrecked through her body and she fought to catch her breath in surprise.

"Ariel," Roxy said, stepping forward and grabbing her arms, "he-"

"Why couldn't I have just been normal girl," she said, remembering his words on the cab ride home from dinner with Michelle and Daisy, "and he a normal boy? No broken pasts, no psychopath ex boyfriends or girlfriends…" she faded off, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks, "no missions, no dead parents, just…" she let out another sob and took in another shuddering breath, looking down at her feet, shaking her head. "God that's selfish, sorry, just ignore me… I'm um, call it menstrual-"

"Don't pull that on me, Ariel, not now," Roxy interrupted, bending down slightly to intercept her gaze, "I may not know what you are going through, what he's going through – although pain wise yes, but otherwise…" she sighed and shook her head. "This is a fucked up situation, yet still you're crying over some simple cuts and bruised ribs."

Ariel snapped her head up, frowning, but Roxy almost grinned and continued.

"He's taken bullets, he's suffered broken bones, even one time his hand was stabbed during interrogation after he was foolish enough to get captured – but he escaped, alive, using his non-dominant hand."

Ariel could only blink.

Roxy only shrugged, trying to look indifferent but failing.

A beep and a vibration broke the silence, making Ariel jump and Roxy curse as she reached into her pocket and brought her phone out.

"I gotta go," Roxy muttered as she glanced at the screen, cursing again and looking at Ariel, "I'm sorry."

Ariel sighed, sniffing her nose and wiping the last of her tears away.

"No, it's okay. I needed that slap in the face, thank you," she said, "sometimes my mind just runs around and-"

"Thank you, Ariel," Roxy said, smiling again. "I… it's good to a have a friend who isn't an agent, you know? A friend that can know who I am and yet still-"

Ariel smiled and reached forward, wrapping Roxy in a hug, not only for what she had said but for the fact she interrupted her rambling. Roxy let out a happy sigh and hugged her back, taking a deep breath before pulling back.

"C'mon, I figure you've got work to do," Ariel said, walking with Roxy to the front door, Sydney on their heels meowing. Ariel turned the two locks and swung the door open to a sunset colored sky and blinked, not realizing how much time had passed. "But if it's a mission, you'll-"

"I'll let Merlin know I'm unfit, don't worry. Even I know going on a mission while being a little tipsy is more than suicide," Roxy said. "I'll text you updates on his condition, but he's known for his fast recovery; there's no need to fret."

Ariel smiled weakly, nodding.

"Thanks," she only whispered.

Roxy nodded, reaching forward and squeezing her arm before as a cab from the street pulled up to the curb in front of them.

"Thanks for the wine," Roxy said, rushing down the steps.

"Don't tell him what I said, okay?" Ariel asked, and Roxy froze on the last step. Ariel held her breath but then Roxy turned with a slight grin, and she slowly nodded, her eyebrow twitching.

"Between friends?" Ariel asked, not in any way manipulative – she meant it. She had a new friend… a _girl_ friend…

Roxy's frown turned into a grin, her eyes bright.

"Between friends, then. See you, Ariel," Roxy said, taking the last step down and walking towards the cab.

"See you," Ariel echoed softly as Roxy entered the cab, giving a final wave through the window before it drove away.

Ariel had just closed her door behind her, turning all five locks, when her phone chimed.

She walked to her hall table, digging it out of her purse as she brought it out and looked at the screen, grinning at the text from Roxy.

" _Amelia says he woke up for a moment to ask about croissants before passing out again."_


	24. Chapter 24

Two weeks without seeing Ariel, with dodging questions at Headquarters, and after two strenuous but successful missions… his knee was bouncing up and down as the cab slowed and came to a stop in front of his place.

He smiled, knowing whose door he'd be going to first as he thanked Mr. Brown and stepped out, saying his goodbyes as he closed the door and watched the cab drive away. He turned and took only one step before coming to a stand-still on the sidewalk.

Ariel was sitting on her stoop, smoking a cigarette. She looked... worn out.

She took in a drag, dropping her head as she exhaled the smoke.

He took a few steps forward, staying silent as he watched her.

She raised her head, taking another drag and shaking her head, muttering to herself.

"Long day?" he asked, walking to the first step.

Ariel jumped, but then smiled when she saw him. He smiled back as she dropped the cigarette, putting it out with her heel before she stood up.

He climbed the first two steps, looking up at her.

"Hey," she whispered, her eyes roaming over his face. The worst of his cuts and bruises had faded away. "You're here."

He nodded, and took in a deep breath.

"You wanna get out of here?" he asked.

Her eyes widened and she tilted her head.

"Get some food, have a picnic at Hyde Park?" he continued in a rush, "I haven't even taken ya out on a date yet."

She stared down at him speechless, but when she nodded, he felt as if a weight was lifted off of his chest.

Still holding her gaze, he brought out his phone, barely looking at his contacts as he called up a local cab service, not wanting the Kingsman to know about it. He rattled off their address, as he took the other steps to reach her, asking for service as soon as possible with a promising tip.

He hung up and pocketed his cell phone in his suit jacket before his hands moved up to hold her head and tilt it to the side – the perfect position for him to kiss her.

She gasped but soon kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his neck. He smiled but still kissed her, stroking the scar on her jaw that she thought was ugly but he knew was only a symbol of who and what she was: a fighter, just like him.

He pulled back, just barely, breathing heavily just as she was. Shit, he even forgot where he was when he had her in his arms.

"Is that the cab?" she asked breathlessly just as a horn sounded out.

He only nodded, not even knowing if he was right, tightening his hold around her before reluctantly letting go. They both turned and sure enough, a cab was waiting for them on the street.

He grabbed her hand as they descended the steps.

* * *

_Holy shit, holy shit…._

She caught her breath, her heart beating rapidly as she followed Eggsy down her stairs, his hand squeezing hers as he opened the door with his other hand. She climbed in, letting his hand go as he slipped off his jacket and tossed it onto the seat beside her after she shifted to the other seat.

"Just lemme check on JB before we go," he said, giving her a wide smile before turning away. 

The cab door was still open and she muttered a thanks to the driver as she took his jacket, folding it nicely while they waited.

"Shouldn't be long," she said dazedly.

The cab driver only shrugged.

"The meter's runnin', hon. I can wait here for as long as you like."

She only smiled and nodded, her eyes scanning the street around her.

She stopped when she heard two small thunks: the sound of a compressed bullet – she knew that sound.

She turned to see a man in a suit right next to her fall to the concrete, blood soaking his shirt.

She cried out as she heard more thunks and looked around, suddenly seeing multiple bodies surrounding the cab.

"What in the hell…?" the cab driver faded off.

She cried out again when she saw yet another body - one in all black and with a ski mask, like the men in her apartment – hit the ground, joining the man in the suit on the ground next to her.

She looked all around her, knowing that running out of the cab would be deadly. Men, dressed almost exactly as the others that entered her flat, were surrounding the cab, their rifles pointed out - thankfully away from her.

She couldn't help but cry out at each shot, at each time she watched another body surrounding her fall to the ground…

Soon enough there was a lone gunman, grabbing the collar of the already gone cab driver and pulling him out of his seat before taking position, closing the driver's side door.

He slammed on the gas, the cab lurching forward, the tires screeching against the pavement. She cried out and barely had to time to think of whether to jump or not… but he made a sharp turn and the other door closed on its own.

The men in her apartment, Mikey coming back, the man at the gallery, and now _this_?

"Purse, NOW!" the man in the driver's seat yelled, grabbing at the ski mask to pull it off - bad sign, a _very_ bad sign - before he raised his hand, showing a rather large pistol.

Ariel only gulped as she grabbed her purse and chucked it over the partition.

She looked back down, breathing deeply as the cab drove crazier than ever through the streets, knocking her back and forth. She held onto one of the handles on the car roof as she looked back up, staring at the man as he drove.

He was an expert. He weaved through other cars, sparing inches and waiting for the last second needed as he wove in and out of traffic, running red lights amidst honks, driving through stop signs, crossing intersections without a care.

She looked down, grinning to herself.

She had her cell in her hands… but Eggsy had also left his jacket in the backseat. Could it hold something?

She whimpered for show, her eyes darting down to the screen as she dialed Eggsy's phone.

Immediately Ariel heard a buzzing and a pre-set iPhone ringtone sound from Eggsy's jacket. Ariel scrambled to find the phone, but the man cried out.

"Don't fucking answer it. Take it out and hand it to me; we won't have any trouble," the man said.

Ariel only nodded, her whole body shaking. He didn't have an American accent, that's all she could notice as she dug through the pockets of Eggy's suit jacket, finally finding his phone, the screen showing a call from her. It was photo of her in a white shirt, a sunflower photo-shopped behind her displaying on the screen. She raised an eyebrow despite her scared state and rejected the call before she chucked the phone over to his side of the cab.

"Good girl," the man said. At least he didn't know she had her phone.

While he sped through the streets, honking and loud curses surrounding her from other pissed off drivers, she thumbed through her contacts before coming upon Roxy's contact info; as soon as Roxy had left her that first time, Ariel had entered everything on the card before ripping it into pieces and putting the shards of paper into the sink garbage disposal as Roxy had told her to do.

Her free hand came flying out to the closed window, stabilizing herself as he the man took another sharp turn, tires screeching against the concrete.

She looked down at her phone to see that Roxy was on the other line. Her phone wasn't just a tracking device now. With Roxy listening, Ariel could let them know what was going on…

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"You know by now," he said lowering the window, and to her dismay throwing out her purse and then Eggsy' phone.

"Please, just let me go-"

"That's not the plan, deary."

"Well, then what the fuck is the plan?" she heard herself yelling. She'd had enough. "I need to put it in my calendar, make sure my schedule is clear and all," she finished.

"Cheeky one, aren't ya?" he said as he banked hard around another corner, accelerating even faster.

The man in the driver's seat brought out a cell phone, punching at the screen before he brought it to his ear. A few seconds after her started speaking in rapid Russian – at least she thought it was Russian. Sounded slavic. 

"You might want to hold on," he said over his shoulder, not even looking at her.

She shook her head, looking down as she faked another sob, glancing at Eggy's jacket; maybe he had an extra tazer ring or a spare poisonous pen… with more fake sobs she covered the sound of her fidgeting around his jacket, but she found nothing. She looked around, figuring the best she could do is provide a landmark…

"Huh, the Gherkin building, never seen it up close like this," she said, tilting her head down towards the phone.

"Shut up!"

She only nodded, hoping that whoever was on the other line heard her.

She held her breath as the cab sped through the streets, making turns and changing lanes that had her gasping, grasping at the handle on the ceiling with her free hand tightly.

"I'm rating you down, by the way. Worst cab driver ever. I'll be making a call to your manager," she said, her heart beating fast but a feeling of confidence overtaking her.

The driver only let out a short laugh.

"That's a call I know he's expecting. He's been waiting to meet you," he said, banking hard as he made a sharp turn; she held on tight to the roof handle, leaning into the turn, waiting it out.

She dropped her hand as the cab straightened, but cried out as he turned onto the sidewalk, resting his hand on the horn as passerby's jumped out of the way just in time.

She looked around frantically again, looking for another landmark so she could mention it aloud to whoever was listening on the open line on her phone.

But then she heard a series of thumps, and the driver cursed. She turned to see red all across the windshield, and when the driver turned on the wipers, it only spread the red juice across the glass.

She stared. Were those… _tomatoes_?

The driver cursed again, brining his pistol up and Ariel barely covered her ears in time as he pulled the trigger four times, aiming at each corner of the windshield, jostling his legs as he brought one up over the dashboard to kick the windshield away, harsh air hitting them, filling the cab with a whistling sound as he continued driving.

She let out a shaky breath.

That had to be the Kingsman... though she didn't hope. Even after calling for help, she had to keep her mind clear that she was in continued danger.

She heard a honk, louder this time now that the windshield was gone, and the driver cursed again, making a deep swerving turn, tires screeching on the pavement.

To her surprise he turned down an alley and she could only watch, waiting as they emerged on the other side, waiting for another landmark-

To her shock a produce truck stopped at the end of the alley.

"Oh, fuck," the driver muttered, tires screeching as he braked, Ariel's hand grabbing for the handle so she didn't face-plant against the partition. She shoved her phone into her shirt as she buckled herself in - something she should have done in the first place.

The cab raced backwards, and Ariel looked over her shoulder to see if they'd make it out…

Another cab stopped at the other end. The driver cursed more, braking again and then accelerating forward.

Ariel looked over her shoulder to see Roxy standing by the cab, her gun raised. She watched Roxy pull the trigger, her arm moving to shoot again and again before the cab turned out of control, the sides of the vehicle hitting the walls of the narrow alley, sparks emitting as the car finally slowed down on two flat tires.

Ariel gasped and breathed heavily, looking behind her and in front of her, waiting for something or someone-

"Hands in the air or I swear to god I will shoot without a second thought."

She gasped, turning forward, her heartbeat calming when she saw Eggsy kneeling on the hood of the cab, the gun in his hands pointed at the driver.

For a split second he looked at her, his gaze moving up and down her body.

"You 'kay?"

She could only nod, still catching her breath.

Eggsy looked at the driver.

"Hands up, now!" he yelled, making her jump. She looked over at the driver, his hands tight on the wheel, his knuckles turning white.

"You're surrounded," Ariel heard another yell and looked over her shoulder where Roxy stood behind the cab, two other men in suits flanking her, their guns also up and ready.

She heard the-oh-so-familiar sound of a silenced bullet, followed instantly by a string of curses. She turned her head back to see the man driving the cab reaching his hands to his shoulder… Eggsy with an even meaner look as he kept his gun aimed at the man.

"Eggsy!?" she asked, though she knew it was him that had shot the man…

A man and a woman, both in suits, came forward in the alley, opening the driver's door, extracting the man, their voices only a whisper to her.

Her heart was beating too fast.

Her body was shaking too much.

"Eggsy?" she gasped, barely able to breathe. She brought a hand to her chest, trying to calm down, make her breathing slower, but to no avail.

Eggsy, still kneeling on the hood of the car, watched as the man was dragged away by others in suits before he slid off the side and opened the door, climbing in next to her. His hands were suddenly all over her, checking for wounds.

She slapped his hands away but he moved quickly enough to grasp each hand in his.

"Ariel are you hurt?!" he said, his grasp around her hands tight.

She shook her head.

"No… I'm fine." she said, still shaking. She heard Eggsy let out a breath as his arms wrapped around her, bringing her onto his lap. He kissed her temple, whispering words she couldn't comprehend as he held her tight.

Soon enough her heartbeat calmed down, along with her breathing, and she caught the last string of what Eggsy was saying.

"You're okay… I got to you in time…"

"Uhm, Galahad?" someone interrupted. Ariel blinked and pulled away, looking around to find a young woman with long red hair pulled back into a ponytail looking calmly at them. Ariel's eyes widened as the corner of her mouth twitched. Another female agent?

"Yes, Bedivere, sorry."

"No apologies necessary, I've been advised of the current situation of the asset" she said, momentarily glancing at Ariel, her lips twitching before she looked back at Eggsy.

"We've taken him alive. Crowds are growing, we need to leave, Merlin has dispatched the cleaning crew."

"You guys can cover _this_ up?" Ariel asked, looking towards one end of the alleyway, where she saw in the distance two guys in suits attempting their best at holding a growing crowd back. She turned her head to look at the other end of the alley but a hand on her cheek stopped her, and she looked back at Eggsy.

"We gotta go, ya good to move?"

She felt faint again. God… she was almost taken for good this time. What if they hadn't gotten to her in time? What if she-

"Ariel, hey, stay with me," he said, reaching up to hold her face.

She blinked, her eyes coming into focus.

"I'm here," she whispered.

He nodded, his jaw twitching.

"We gotta go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	25. Chapter 25

Eggsy held her hand tightly as they rode the silver tube towards the Headquarters in silence. She stared out the window, watching the lights flash by.

Once they got out, he kept silent, which she appreciated, as they walked the halls, his hand still tightly holding hers. She wasn't much for talking right now. Her heart was still beating overtime and even though she had calmed down from her panic attack, she still felt short of breath.

Eggsy slowed down as they approached the doorway of the Dining Room. He turned towards her, wrapping her in his arms as he held her tight before letting go, his lips brushing her temple as he whispered, "It's gonna be okay."

The room was already filled with other agents; to her, it seemed, they were all there, she'd never seen the room so full, some sitting, most of them standing. Maybe the recruits were even there…

She only recognized Percival and Roxy, sitting and talking with the others. Amelia was standing next to Merlin at the head of the table, their heads close together as they talked, Amelia's hand flying over the clip-pad she held.

It was such chaos that the others didn't even realize she and Eggsy had come in. He pulled her to the first chair on one of the sides of the table closest to Merlin. Instead of taking the seat and bringing in another chair as she thought he would do, he guided her to sit in his seat and stood behind her.

She tried to comprehend any words said around her, but she was still shaking; it all melded together into incomprehensible nonsense. Eggsy's grip around her hand tightened before he dropped it, moving his hand to her shoulder.

Suddenly Merlin stood up and cleared his throat, making the room fell silent.

"This has been enough," Merlin said loudly. He took in a deep breath and continued, "Agents not assigned to this mission, you are dismissed."

Ariel looked around as many agents left – though she noticed a few empty chairs. The men in suits surrounding her cab, falling down with bullet wounds…

She waited until they all left, leaving Roxy, Eggsy, Amelia and Merlin in the room with her before she spoke.

"How are the three agents? They fell, and it was all so quick I don't know-"

"They are all alive, Ms. Renzella, and will pull through," Merlin said solemnly.

She let out a shuddering breath, closing her eyes tight. She felt Eggsy rest his other hand on her shoulder.

There was a beat of silence before Merlin spoke.

"Ms. Renzella… I have no other option but to sanction you to a safe house."

"What!?" she cried out, however it was ignored.

"Galahad," Merlin continued as though she hadn't said anything, "with your close… connection, you've been compromised as well; I won't be taking any more chances. You'll be joining Ms. Renzella at the safe house."

Eggsy silently nodded, and Ariel blanched.

"But my job… you can't-" she started.

"We can, and we will, Ms. Renzella. Especially when your life is at stake. Do I need to remind you that you were just taken on a high risk 'joy ride' throughout London, yet another attempt at your kidnapping? Thankfully with the aid of the authorities and even help from MI6, we were barely able to contain it. I swear, our lives have been made harder with 'smart' phones," Merlin muttered.

"But-"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Renzella… we gave you a choice before, but now you have no say. You are a critical asset, and we will do everything we can to keep you that way. And that no longer means you waiting in your flat for more men to come. They came; they almost got away with you – twice, might I remind you. We won't be taking anymore risks," Merlin said sternly, staring down at her.

She gulped, but didn't say anything. She couldn't.

Merlin took her silence as a sign of acceptance, and gave a curt nod.

"And to think, just a while ago, you were coming to me complaining that nothing had happened yet," he said. "Well, it happened. And we can't take any more risks."

* * *

Ariel was as silent as ever in the cab. She had barely even looked at him when Merlin dismissed them. The first red flag.

When they exited the headquarters through the front door, Mr. Brown was already waiting for them with the cab, his own face solemn. There wasn't any small talk with him today.

They drove to the city, stopping in front of their apartments so they could pack their bags. Ariel didn't even ask about Sydney, or even JB; the second red flag. However, Eggsy realized too late after they came back with their bags now packed in the trunk, that Mr. Brown was driving further _into_ the city rather than _out_ of the city; the third red flag.

He tapped on the partition that was closed, but he saw Mr. Brown give a small shake of his head, meeting Eggy's eyes in the rearview mirror before he glanced at Ariel.

Eggsy turned looked at her, her head turned away, her gaze glued to the window, her arms across her chest, her fingers tightly grasping at her suit jacket from work.

He then noticed the street they were driving on, and it clicked.

She'd convinced Mr. Brown to drive her to the gallery.

And he had a feeling she was going to quit. Time at a safe house had no distinct timeline. It would be too many personal days for her to keep the job…

They stopped outside the gallery and Ariel opened the door and stepped out, not even looking back at him as she walked towards the front door and entered the Gallery.

"I'd question your loyalty, Mr. Brown, but I wholly understand, mate," he muttered as he brought out his phone and called Amelia. Mr. Brown cleared his throat, but said nothing.

" _You're smarter than this, Eggs,"_ Amelia answered _, "what the hell-"_

"Have Merlin call her boss, I think Ariel's about to quit her job. You guys must've planned for something like this, call now."

" _What do you-"_

"We're currently parked outside the Gallery this second; I think she somehow bribed Mr. Brown. Call now."

He heard a soft laugh from his cab driver as Amelia cleared her throat.

" _Right, then, I'll let him know ASAP. But seriously, turn off your phone once you leave the city, and hers too – tracking will still be in effect but only to us."_

"Understood. See ya later,"

" _See you, Eggsy,"_ Amelia said softly before the line cut off.

He relaxed and waited, keeping his eyes on the front glass doors to the Gallery.

"Safe house, Mr. Galahad?" Mr. Brown said, breaking the silence, "things have mightily taken a turn. I had to sign a few _more_ contracts before I was even allowed to know the location."

Eggsy sighed, clenching his fists – not at Mr. Brown but more so the situation. And at Ariel's silence. He just _knew_ that she was blaming herself for the three injured agents. Even though Merlin had assured her they were going to live…

"Indeed they have, Mr. Brown," he muttered.

Thankfully, Mr. Brown stayed silent after that. Eggsy didn't know how long it was but soon enough Ariel was exiting the doors of the Gallery and climbing into the cab, her shoulders drawn tight, her mouth in a grim line.

Without a word Mr. Brown drove off, and after a few moments she turned to face him.

"Merlin called, didn't he? You told him where we were."

He only gave a curt nod.

She sighed, and turned to look out the window.

"Cantrell wouldn't let me quit; told me to take an extended vacation. I'm not sure if I should be glad or mad."

"Vacation sounds nice," Mr. Brown said, and Ariel laughed, though not with mirth. She sighed.

"Well, the safe house better have some amenities and a hot tub," she muttered to herself.

Eggsy stayed silent and watched her as the cab drove through the city. He expected an outburst… but this blasé approach to being holed up for an intermittent amount of time was something different – she usually approached things head on.

But he didn't know what to say. What could he say?

They sat in uncomfortable silence - a first for them - the entire ride.

* * *

She dozed off for a while but jerked up when the road suddenly turned from nice and smooth to rough and bumpy. She looked around and only saw trees passing as they drove down a dirt road. She looked over at Eggsy who was looking out the window.

"Should be there soon," he said softly, not looking at her.

She stared at him. Why was _he_ being short with her? She shook her head and glanced over at Mr. Brown.

"Hey, we're not going to have to hike there, are we?" she asked jokingly.

Mr. Brown smiled and met her gaze in the rearview mirror.

"No hiking today, Ariel. However I've been given instructions to drop you off…" he faded off as a chain-link fence came into view, "here," he said, slowing down.

Ariel got out and Eggsy did the same, leaving a scrambling Mr. Brown flustered as he closed Eggsy's door and rushed to the trunk to get the bags she and Eggsy had packed before coming here.

She threw her duffel onto her shoulder, Eggsy taking the handle of his black rolling suitcase from Mr. Brown.

"Well, uhm," Mr. Brown started, but Eggsy clapped him on the shoulder, giving a grim smile.

"Sorry to put you out of work for a bit."

Mr. Brown shook his head.

"I've got a civilian cab license too, though not sure if the wife is gonna even let me."

"I'm sure she'll be happy to have you home, Mr. Brown," Ariel said, and he turned and nodded at her with a soft smile.

"Indeed, Ariel."

They said their goodbyes and she and Eggsy stood side by side, watching as Mr. Brown reversed down the road, giving a last wave of goodbye through the windshield.

Eggsy sighed, muttering for her to follow him as he started walking along the fence.

She stayed silent as they walked, glad that she skipped her comfy flats and chose her running shoes as they walked the uneven earth, stopping at a big cluster of trees and bushes.

Eggsy walked forward, grabbing the branches and pulling the brush away to show a large hole. He turned to her, grabbing her duffel bag without saying anything, pushing it forward before his, and then turned and held out a hand.

She gave him a quick glance, taking his hand which wrapped tightly around hers as he helped guide her through the hole in the fence, holding her as she bent down to avoid the poking pieces of metal.

He turned, reaching through to grab the brush and tree branches to cover to hole back up.

It was so… simple.

She expected to come upon a key pad or something that would show a tunnel to the safe-house, not just a hole in a fence covered by a bush.

"This is considered private and Natural Historic land," Eggsy said, barely out of breath as she was struggling for it on the soft incline, "so trespassin' charges are a bit tougher than others. Higher security ain't needed," he said as they walked.

They stayed silent, tense as ever, and she let out a happy sigh as a small house appeared in the distance.

It surprisingly homey, with a front porch and even green shutters on the windows. The complete opposite of what a safe house would be, at least of what she thought it would be.

Eggsy dug into his pocket and brought out a pair of keys as they climbed the few steps and walked to the front door.

"Home sweet safe home," he muttered as he swung the door open to a large living room. She walked through, checking out the interior – designed to feel like a log cabin - and walked down the only hall.

She chose the furthest bedroom, throwing her duffel on the bed as she used the heels of her feet to slip off her sneakers.

She heard him clear his throat and turned to find him in the doorway.

He stared at her for a beat before speaking.

"You 'kay?"

She nodded, taking in a deep breath, clearing her mind, her fast beating heart finally calming down.

"Yeah. It's just… I…"

"It's a lot to take in, I know. I'm… rattled myself, though I can't-"

"It's okay, Eggsy. Just got to…" she faded off, and he nodded, stuffing his hands in his suit pocket. She wondered why he even wore one here.

Not that she was complaining.

"Not much here to give a tour, but lemme know if you need anythin'."

She nodded, not sure what to say, or even do.

They stood there, silent, awkward, and she wanted to let out an angry scream.

How had this happened to them? After _everything_ … here they were, standing around, unsure what to say.

"Alright," she said defeatedly.

He gave a silent nod and walked away, leaving her alone. She tiptoed to the door, closing it slowly.

She sighed as she turned and jumped facedown onto the bed, her face landing in a pillow as she let out the angry scream she had been holding in.


	26. Chapter 26

After letting out a few more yells into her pillow Ariel turned over on the bed and splayed out like a starfish as she stared at the ceiling, the past few hours rushing through her head.

She didn't know how long she lay there, but she eventually sat up and crawled off the bed; might as well get ready for the long haul. She opened her suitcase and unpacked almost everything except half of the clothes she had stuffed in her suitcase, her hopeful side winning her over.

When she was finished she slipped off her socks, her bare feet silent as she walked down the hall to explore.

There was one bathroom with a shower/bathtub combo and generic shampoo, conditioner and bodywash already provided in a shower caddy. In the cabinet hidden in the mirror above the sink there were toothbrushes, paste, and mouthwash along with pain meds and even Midol, which had her raising an eyebrow but also grinning. She imagined that Roxy's recent recruitment to the agency had changed a lot of things.

She walked past a door with a keypad lock, her steps slowing to stare at it for a moment, before she came upon the second bedroom, the door wide open.

She peeked around the doorway and stopped.

Eggsy was fast asleep on top of the covers. He had changed out of his suit and was now in a pair sweats... but nothing else. He had an arm tucked under his head and his suitcase on the dresser already in disarray. He still had his glasses on.

She tiptoed forward, gingerly reaching forward and holding her breath as she grabbed the glasses by the edges of the frame and slowly pulled, folding them up and gently placing them on the bedside table.

So close, she focused on his now bare face. All of the bruises from Mikey's fists were gone, but one of the cuts on his cheek – now void of the butterfly bandages that used to be there – was still pinkish. And the bruises on his chest, his ribs…

Maybe a break would be good for him. And even her, but _he_ was the spy. He had the hectic life, used his body and his skills as weapons. It might do him some good to take a rest for a little bit. Or for however long this… _thing_ continued.

Would it ever end?

She tiptoed out and walked through the living room, finding the kitchen and checking the fridge and freezer, surprised and impressed that they were both fully stocked.

She used to hate the thought of normalcy. But now, she wanted nothing more.

Normalcy; for all of this to be over and back to when she and Eggsy were just neighbors, friends… whatever. Where she was just someone looking for a new start, and he was just a tailor.

She thought back to the moment when she realized he was more than he said as she poured herself a cup of cold water and walked out to the front porch, the view a drastic difference from the one on her stoop.

Holding the gun and pulling the trigger, fighting hand to hand with surprising agility and speed, taking the men in her apartment down.

If normalcy was what had happened, if her parents were just Professors that died in a tragic car accident… would she be okay with knowing Eggsy as just the tailor? Would she be okay with knowing him, but not who he really was? He explained that he didn't know about her until after their first meeting… if she was just normal, would he have instigated a second?

She heard a loud screech and jumped, a bit of water spilling over the cup she held. She looked around and saw a flash of wings. It was a hawk – just a hawk. The thought of it had her covering her mouth as she laughed at being frightened by something so harmless to her… compared to what she'd recently dealt with.

She stopped, her hand falling. She couldn't remember the last time she really laughed…

But then it came back to her.

The morning of her and Eggsy's first kiss… when they were jogging, joking about her baking.

She sighed, shaking him out of her head as she heard another type of bird call, taking in the untouched scenery around her.

Sydney would love it here. Though on the other hand, she'd probably find a woodland critter to kill and bring to her as a prize… one of the harder parts of having an outside cat.

Sydney was at her apartment, where a tech would check in daily and feed her, just the same tech that checked on JB when Eggsy was away at missions, Amelia had explained as she left headquarters to go to her place to pack a bag for here.

Her stomach rumbled loudly, and she grinned.

Food time.

* * *

In the kitchen she had found a clock radio with an added auxiliary cord, where she plugged in her iPod and played music on a low volume.

She had sausage cooking in one pan as she whisked eggs in a bowl, ready to scramble them. Even though the sun was setting, she was in a 'breakfast for dinner' mood.

She checked the clock again, thinking of waking him up in maybe twenty minutes or so; if he napped any longer he'd throw his sleep cycle off.

She poured the eggs on the pan, the familiar hiss something to hold onto in this unfamiliar situation. She hummed along to Holychild and moved her hips as she stirred the eggs, reaching over to nudge at the sausages with a fork – they had at least a few more minutes.

She heard someone clear their throat after she had sung a couple of lines and gasped, turning around to find Eggsy leaning against a counter, grinning.

"Quite a voice," he said, trying not to laugh.

"Har, har. Sit, it's almost done," she said, turning away.

He hoisted himself onto the counter next to the stove.

"You let me sleep late."

She shrugged, keeping her eyes on the eggs.

"You needed it."

He stayed silent as she flipped the eggs, letting them cook more as she moved the sausages onto separate plates.

"What about you?" he asked.

She shrugged and they stayed silent as she finished the eggs – moving them off the pan and onto the plates. She dropped the spatula and pan into the sink before picking up one of the plates and bringing it to the counter next to Eggsy. She avoided his gaze as she went back to her other plate, picking up the fork and taking a big bite of the sausage.

"I've got eggs and sausage, I'm good."

She took a moment before she looked at him. He only stared back, ignoring the plate of food next to him.

"I'm gonna give you another chance to tell me what's really going on," he said slowly. "What about you?" he asked again.

She might've put down her plate too hard but she didn't care as she crossed her arms, frowning.

"You know, usually when people approach such a 'talk' that I presume you want to have, they don't _demand_ it. And why the hell do you want to have this 'talk' anyway? I thought we covered everything."

"That's bullshit an' you know it, Ariel."

Her eyes widened at his snappy tone. Where the hell was this coming from?

"Nothing has changed," he continued, "I meant what I said, your smiles becoming real-"

"You were high on pain meds!"

"I still fuckin' meant it!"

She let out a yell and turned back to her plate, taking a generous bite of sausage, following that with eggs. She sighed, angrily chewing her food.

She slammed the fork down, before turning back to him.

"You know what I need, Eggsy?! I need my life back! I need my job back! I need Sydney! I need to feel _normal_ again!"

His grip loosened on the counter, his legs falling so he stood.

"But it can't… it never will be," she continued.

"Why?" he asked softly, and she shook her head, clenching her hands into fists.

"For fuck's sake, Eggsy, someone tried to kidnap me today! We're in a _safe house_. A week or so ago my ex boyfriend broke into my home high on who knows what, and he almost beat the living shit out of you!"

"I held my own, thank ya very much," he muttered.

She let out a forced laugh, throwing her hands in the air.

"So much for whatever the hell you wanted me to talk about," she said, shaking her head as she walked past him, planning to go back to her room.

He grabbed onto her wrist and she pulled away but he held on tight. She shoved him with her other hand, but he still didn't budge.

"Please," she whispered, but his other hand wrapped around her side, coming to grip the counter behind her, trapping her in his arms. She looked around, finally fixing her gaze on their feet, both bare. She focused on her purple polished toes, chipped at the ends.

She felt his breath on her neck and repressed a shiver.

"Listen, I get that you're a thinker, gotta process, analyze."

She could only nod.

"But that's not how I do things, Ariel," he said slowly, his eyes staring into hers.

"Yeah," she scoffed, "you… you jump right in. Sometimes literally."

His mouth twitched at that, but then he let out a breath.

"So that means I'm already there."

She raised an eyebrow.

"And where, exactly are you?"

He leaned forward and she held her breath as he brushed their lips together in the softest touch. He held still for a moment before pulling back barely.

"The… us bein' an _us_ , there."

She stared for a moment until the words kicked in.

"Oh."

He was… through all of this, even after… and it wasn't as though she wasn't thinking about it too, but that was just thinking!

"I like it when you think," he said smiling, and she realized she had just said that aloud.

She opened her mouth but he moved his hand over it, she raised her eyebrows but he let out a 'shh'.

She slapped his hand away.

"Did you just 'sush'-"

He leant forward, giving her a hard and demanding kiss before pulling back.

"Yeah, love, I did, cause ya need to hear this."

She blinked away her daze from the kiss as he continued.

"We were never _normal_ , Ariel. We never changed. Nothin' ever changed, just the circumstances."

"But-"

He leant forward for another quick kiss before pulling away, his nose brushing against hers.

"It's 'kay. You've got time, after all. We might be stuck 'ere for a while," he said.

He pulled away and turned to grab his plate.

"Thanks for the eggs," he said before walking away.

* * *

By the time she finally regained her composure, her eggs and sausage were cold as she reached for a small bite. She stared down at the plate as she swallowed, her mind reeling.

_Thanks for the eggs._

He just… laid everything out there… and _that's_ what he finished with.

"Thanks for the eggs!?" she repeated out loud. " _Thanks for the eggs?!"_

She walked, more like stomped, out of the kitchen and down the hall, finding the door with the keypad slightly ajar. She figured he was in there so she strode forward, slamming the door open.

"Thanks for the eggs?! After what you tell me – holy shit."

She stopped at the sight of the armory before her. She couldn't think of any other word for it. However, this room could've been straight out of the tailor shop. Lined shelves, green wallpaper and wood accents.

Two walls were lined with every and any type of gun possible with extra cartages and bullet boxes displayed, the other wall lined with crates and military grade cases – was that a fucking bazooka in the corner?

Her eyes came to Eggsy standing in the middle, clip-pad in hand, staring at her.

"I thought this was a safe house," she said slowly, looking around again.

"Ariel, ya can't really-"

"What, expect me to not care about this? About an arsenal just down the hall from where I'm going to be sleeping? What, would you rather I never found this, just like I never found out about-"

"Don't ya even dare, Ariel," he snapped, his voice dark, just like it was when he was threatening Mikey.

She stopped, her eyes growing wide in surprise.

"I understand the hits keep comin'," he said, his voice turning soft, "but stop usin' us as a fallback. I've never asked you for anythin', so please, just don't do that. Not to me… not to us."

She took in a shuddering breath, looking around the room a final time before landing her gaze on his, frowning at the thoughts rambling through her head.

"You said…" she started, "you said that even if… this chaos wasn't happening, if my parents were just my parents and not a part of what they were, that you would've done everything the same."

He frowned but nodded, putting down the clip-pad and turning to face her, looking unsure.

She cleared her throat, and looked around the room again.

"If that were the case… you would've been just a tailor to me," she said, her hand coming out to trace the edge of a rifle.

He stared at her, his face blank before some kind of understanding dawned on his face.

She blushed, barely meeting his gaze as he nodded.

"I… I wouldn't have actually known you. As… this," she said, a hand coming out to gesture at the weaponry surrounding them.

"Ariel-"

"No… just… I'm…" she shook her head, taking in a deep breath to gear up for what she was about to say, still being cowardly enough to not look up at him as she continued.

"I'm sorry."

The silence dragged on for so long, Ariel had nothing else to do but look up at Eggsy. His shocked face had her continuing.

"I… I mean, come on, you have understand I need to… comprehend all of this. Not just my parents, but you… and then you said it perfectly: I used you..." she took in a deep breath, looking down at her shoes, "I used _us_ as an excuse to just… close myself off from everything that was happening."

"Ariel," Eggsy's voice cracked.

She shook her head, finally looking up and taking the few steps to reach him as she wrapped her arms around him, her lips brushing his ear.

"It's something I do – no, it's something I did – to protect myself. But you…" she closed her eyes and swallowed her dry mouth away, " _Us_ … changed that."

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her tight to him hard enough that she barely caught her breath. He moved his head to her jaw, his hot breath heating her skin before a soft brush of his lips met the soft spot under her ear, making her shiver.

She let out a heavy breath as he let her go. With her gaze back to the floor she left the room, rushing down the hall to where her temporary bedroom was.

She closed the door before she jumped on the mattress, curling her knees under her arms as she calmed her breathing.


	27. Chapter 27

Since she'd left her plate of food in the kitchen and was too much of a coward to go back out since there was more than half a chance of running into Eggsy, Ariel honestly thought she was going to go to bed without dinner.

But luckily after checking every nook and cranny of her purse and duffel bag, she found a protein bar, a tootsie roll pop, and a few hard caramels to tide her over.

Even with her stomach somewhat full, she still had trouble falling asleep. And even when she did, it was so light that even the smallest noise woke her – meaning any and all sounds of the wild night disturbed her.

After being woken up by the hoot of an owl for the fourth time she groaned and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. She turned in her bed, ready to put on her slippers to venture for a midnight snack when she heard a shout.

She froze, her heart beating erratically as she heard the same sound again. She slowly crept out of the bed, moving on her tiptoes to the door holding the knob tightly as she moved the door open a crack.

She couldn't se much in the dark hall, but she heard the shout again, more clearly this time:

"No! Stop… Don't!"

Ariel pieced it together and rushed down the hall, her socks sliding on the floor as she used the doorframe to stop herself at Eggsy's room.

He was on his bed, writhing, the sheets kicked to the bottom. He raised an arm and punched the air as he yelled out again – in a defensive move.

Her talks with Michelle about her previous boyfriend rushed through her mind as she rushed to the bed, slowly climbing to his side.

His arm shot out again and she ducked. She settled in next to him and gingerly reached her arm out, slowly resting it across his chest. She gasped as he grabbed it with both hands, but didn't move. His grasp was tight but it didn't hurt her, and she waited it out.

He yelled again, once or twice, still holding tightly onto her arm, once painfully twisting at her skin, but she stayed still.

She let out a deep breath as he fell into a muttering sleep. She moved closer to him, bringing her mouth to his ear as she whispered comforting words.

"I'm here. I'm right here."

He only muttered something she couldn't understand, but he calmed down, falling back into a calm slumber. She sighed as she sat up, bringing the sheet back over them as she lay back down next to him, tucking her face into his neck.

"I'm here."

* * *

Her eyes shot open before her mind became fully awake. She blinked her vision into focus, taking in a deep breath before she froze.

She lightly shifted her body and closed her eyes tight in embarrassment. Good god, she was almost on top of him, acting as the big spoon. One of her legs was trapped between his, and her arm was draped across his waist, her hand sandwiched between his.

She held her breath, slowly trying to pull away before his voice made her stand still.

"How bad was I?"

His voice was hoarse.

"The yelling woke me up."

He nodded, but didn't move, keeping his back turned towards her.

She moved her hand to pull away, but he kept his grip on her tight, letting out a small noise as she tried to pull way.

"Let me make some coffee. Or even just some toast," she whispered.

He nodded as his grasp on her loosened. She pulled away and stood up from the bed.

"I'll make it the next time 'round," he muttered, shifting in the bed, his eyes closing as he fell back asleep.

She stared at him, curled up in the bed for a moment more before she turned and walked to the kitchen.

* * *

They fell into a casual routine for the next couple of days; whoever woke up first would make the coffee and breakfast, the second to wake would either make brunch and/or dinner.

Ariel found herself making coffee most - if not all - mornings. Eggsy and his nightmares had had her mentally slapping herself in the head for the fact that she never heard him while they were neighbors.

The nightmares were constant.

And each time his yells and shouts woke her up she'd stumble, half asleep, to his room and collapse on his bed, moving to whisper in his ear "I'm here," to calm him down before she fell asleep, wrapped around him.

And the morning after her eyes would shoot open, sleeping next to Eggsy, her arms and legs tangled with his as they slept… she'd expertly crawl away without waking him to make the coffee and breakfast.

There were only two times that she woke up in her own bed, Eggsy spooning her from behind. It took her a while to comprehend he'd witnessed a nightmare of hers, before she finally disengaged herself from his grasp, freezing once or twice as he slightly shifted and muttered incomprehensible words.

Even with _this_ routine – there was still an awkwardness between them, some unspeakable situation, a bond that the both of them ignored. Most of the time it was silent between the two of them, other times it was the lamest small talk Ariel had ever encountered.

She hated it. She yelled into her pillow at least once a day to let go of her frustration after Eggsy thanked her for whatever she made for breakfast.

"Thanks for the waffles."

"Thanks for the Omelette."

"Thanks for the toast."

" _Thanks for the eggs."_

"Thanks for the croissant," (philsbury of course).

And then, of course, she reciprocated with whatever he made for brunch or dinner – even though it was all pre-made or in a can.

"Thanks for the chicken."

"Thanks for the corn beef hash."

"Thanks for the baked beans."

"Thanks for the… uhm… spam?"

And, when he ran out of options: " _Thanks for the eggs._ "

Other than that, they barely spoke something to each other that meant _anything_.

She did find the silver lining in waking up earlier than Eggsy – the time alone.

Time alone to comprehend everything that had happened. Who she was and even who she had become since that first time the men entered her apartment in an attempt to kidnap her. She didn't know she had it in herself to fight back like that. And then the complete opposite: how she broke down in the cab when she realized she hadn't been taken during the second attempt.

Time alone to read the books she'd meant to read, listen to the album's she'd recently bought but never listened to… time alone was a peculiar thing in a world of monotony mixed with the peculiar excitement that being Eggsy's neighbor brought.

This one morning the books in her suitcase were forgotten and instead she brought her coffee and toast to the front porch of the cabin/safe-house, sitting on the outdoor swing bench, the sounds of a truly wild forest environment surrounding her as she ate her breakfast.

She was enjoying a cry of the hawk, which she was sure had a nest nearby, when his voice interrupted the natural silence.

"You drank all the coffee?"

"Sorry, thought you'd sleep longer," she said, walking into the cabin as he stepped aside, making her way to the kitchen.

"Woke up earlier, felt like someone left me…" he said softly as he followed her. She stiffened for a second before she shook her head and moved to the coffee maker, adding a new filter and new grounds before turning it on and putting two pieces of whole wheat bread in the toaster.

This morning she woke up in her bed, Eggsy's arm wrapped across her stomach, a leg on top of hers – she had the nightmare this time.

And the thing was… this nightmare she didn't even remember. These past couple of days, whenever she awoke in her bed – her nightmares were forgotten.

"Did you sleep 'kay after?" he asked softly, just as he did the past times she was the one to have the nightmare.

She took in a shuddering breath but nodded, just like as she did every time.

"Yup," she said as she turned off the coffee maker and poured Eggsy a cup, resting it on the counter as far away her arm would let her without turning around.

She heard Eggsy let out a deep breath. She stood at the sink, staring at the faucet that dripped every once in a while.

When the toaster dinged, she jumped but shook her head as she grabbed a plate from the drying rack next to the sink and used her pinky finger to bring out the hot bread to rest on the plate.

"Ariel," he said softly. She felt him behind her, his warmth…

She dropped the plate on the counter and turned, her shoulder brushing his body as she faced him.

He smiled down at her and reached forward, her heart stopping with his face barely an inch away… As he reached for a piece of the toast and brought it to his mouth for a crunchy bite. She hadn't even put on butter, or jam – as she now knew he liked it.

He chewed, keeping her gaze, and swallowed the dry bread. He leant forward, their noses brushing. She took in a breath, staring up at him.

He slowly dropped the piece of bread on the plate behind her.

"Thanks for the-"

"Goddammit, Eggsy," she whispered before her hands moved forward to grab his face, her head tilting up so their lips met. She let out a soft hum as she kissed him softly, their lips molding against each other.

She slowed down, realizing she was the only one kissing – he wasn't moving at all. She pulled back just a bit before he took over, his hands snaking around her waist as he pulled her hips to his, opening her mouth as he kissed her hard.

His hands moved nonstop; around her waist, up and down her back as she shivered at his touch. When his hands moved up her sides, one hand coming to cup her breast, she let out a soft moan.

"Eggsy," she sighed, leaning forward to kiss him again; one moment lazy, the next hard and passionate.

He pulled back, his eyes closed, his hand stilling on her ribs as he caught his breath.

"Don't even fucking think about it," she snapped, blinking her eyes open at him, his eyes still closed. He stayed still.

" _Eggsy._ "

"Ariel," he said softly his eyes still closed.

Her hands moved down his chest, coming to the drawstring of his sweats, pulling a finger through the knot to untie it, smiling when he let out a hiss.

"I swear to god, Eggsy, you don't take off your pants, I will end you myself," she said sharply, their noses brushing against each other, their lips barely touching.

That had him opening his eyes – making her gasp at the heat of his gaze.

They stared at each other, breathless, for who knows how long. She cleared her throat.

"I-"

He let out a groan and kissed her, hard.

Their hands moved quickly, without regard. Her shirt came off. His sweats were pushed down, leaving him in boxers. His hand reached forward, past her panties, and he thrust a finger inside, making her cry out. She moved her hips and he moved to softly bite her neck as he pulled back and thrust again, moving his hips with her and his hand.

"Please," she whispered, holding on to him tightly.

He didn't say anything, and instead thrust against her, harder this time.

She was turning inside out, and he wasn't even inside her yet.

"Eggsy, please," she whispered, her eyes closing, her head falling back.

"Look at me, Ariel," he said sternly, his hands coming to grasp the back of her head.

She gasped again, but was able to open her eyes to find his gaze staring right back at her.

"There it is," he whispered, leaning forward for a messy kiss, tongues and all. She pulled back breathless, her hips moving without her control.

He leaned forward, their foreheads bumping together.

"Bedroom," Eggsy groaned, " _now_."


	28. Chapter 28

"Ariel," he whispered, moving his face to press his lips onto the soft skin of her jaw, "you 'kay?"

Her whole body on top of his shivered and his arms tightened around her.

"Better than," she said softly, shifting slightly on top of him.

He kissed her shoulder before he sat up quickly, bringing her with him as he pushed to the side of the bed and stood up, picking her up with him as he carried them to the bathroom.

After taking care of business and cleaning the both of them up with a warm washcloth he carried her back to the bed, pulling the covers over them as he moved to intertwine their legs, his arms wrapping around her waist.

He only stared at her, tracing a random pattern on the bare skin of her back, his fingertips running over the ridges of her spine, making her shiver.

His gaze traveled down her face and focused on her mouth before he leant forward – she met him halfway for a soft and effortless kiss before he pulled back and she opened her eyes again, seeing flecks of hazel in his eyes that she hadn't noticed before.

She stared more; the recent cuts and bruises from Mikey were finally fading away. But she saw other small things she hadn't noticed before: a scar on his jaw, one on the edge of his eyebrow. Then there was his shoulder and chest… other small and not so small scars – all from being who he was.

"What was your first mission?"

He blinked, and raised an eyebrow.

"Is this what ya call pillow talk?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know, never really had…" she faded off and shook her head. "Stop delaying, I want to know."

He sighed.

"Well, I guess Valentine would be considered my first mission," he muttered, avoiding her gaze, which had her raising an eyebrow.

She made a note to ask Roxy about that later.

She shifted her arm, rising up on her elbow to hold her head as she looked at him, her other hand reaching out to brush the scars on his chest.

"That's… proxy. After all of that… when the world was in chaos with more than half of its leaders gone… what was your first _mission_?"

He grabbed her hand suddenly and moved it to the corner of his shoulder, where three rugged and round scars marred his skin.

"A team of… rebels tried to take over Parliament; tried to hold our government hostage. It was early… during the aftermath of Valentine, so we barely even had a government. Hell, barely even a Parliament. There were only a handful of us – those that survived Valentine – to go in."

Her fingertips brushed the scars, memorizing them; the feel, how far apart they were…

"It was a shotgun. I didn't clear the room enough it seemed, bastard was hidin' in the corner."

She frowned, looking up to meet his gaze.

"Just barely missed me – if I'd gotten the center of the blast I wouldn't be here."

She took in a shuddering breath. His first mission and he almost _died_ …

"Okay maybe now I understand why people don't like pillow talk," she muttered and he laughed, her body vibrating with his.

"Hey, I signed up for the risk. It was in the contract an everythin'," he chuckled.

She stayed silent, looking at the other scars visible, trying to find a story behind each of them.

His hand brushed her jaw and nudged her face to look at him.

"There's risk, bein' me."

She frowned, but nodded.

"But not with you," he continued.

She titled her head, unsure what he was getting at.

"I won't risk you," he said softly.

She shook her head.

"I'm already at risk, Eggsy. Jesus, someone used a _taxi_ to try to kidnap me just a week ago. It's like I'm living in some crazy action movie."

His grip tightened on her and she only shook her head, leaning down to brush her lips against his shotgun scars.

"This is gonna be so cheesy, but…"

"But…" he prompted.

"But with you… with you I don't feel the risk so much."

He smiled so brightly for a split second before his lips moved to meet hers, kissing her with passion… she felt breathless as he pushed her back onto the mattress, coming above her as he kept their lips molded.

She pulled back, breathless for many reasons.

"We can't ignore it, though," she muttered. They were here… thank god they were here… but at the same time she was the reason.

Eggsy shook his head.

"For now, we can, Ariel," he said, his hips grinding against hers. She let out a gasp and moaned as he moved his mouth from her shoulder up her neck, biting the lobe of her ear.

"For now," she whispered, grabbing his head in her hands and brining him in for a devouring kiss.

* * *

Roxy was giving it her all as she landed punch after punch and kick after kick to the helpless punching bag in front of her.

She finished her last set and took a step back, rolling on the balls of her feet as she calmed her breathing down before moving to her duffle bag, grabbing a couple gulps of water from her bottle.

Suddenly the room turned red, flashing lights surrounding her as a disembodied voice repeated 'Code Green.'

She ignored the difference in odd color coding as she ran out of the training room and to the hall – also bathed in red flashing lights – turning right, then left, heading towards -

She ran into Amelia, stepping forward to catch the clip-pad before it fell, quickly shoving it towards her friend.

"This isn't a drill, is it?" she yelled over the loud beeps of the alarm and the high drone of the voice, continuously repeating 'Code Green'.

Amelia, face flushed and eyes frantic, shook her head she stepped around Roxy and continued running, Roxy following.

"Nope, Code Green is real. Green is hacked – we've been _fucking_ hacked!" she almost screamed as she burst through the stairwell, the two of them half running half jumping down three flights of stairs before they emerged into another hall.

"How!? Who!?" Roxy asked.

"Who do you think?!" Amelia snapped as they ran down the hall, scrambling around a corner before Amelia swiped her wrist on a large pad on the nearest door, shoving through as it clicked open with a hiss.

They barreled through and Roxy stopped short as Amelia rushed forward to Merlin who was standing in the middle of a room filled with screens and blinking lights.

Amelia was barely able to get a 'Sir' out before Merlin started shouting over the alarm still going.

"What in the hell happened?"

"We got a signal while back, they barely got past the first firewall, thought it was another amateur-"

"For fucks sake, get rid of the alarm!" Merlin shouted.

Seconds later, the loud beeping alarm stopped but the lights still flashed.

Roxy blinked the ringing in her ears away, taking in the room fully.

They weren't alone. In the room full of tech, there were three agents she had never seen before sitting in front of keyboards amongst the screens and computers, their fingers flying across the keys.

"Spit it out, Amelia, damage report!" Merlin said, his voice raised but not shouting above the alarm anymore.

"Sir… they've just gotten past our twenty-fifth," she said quickly.

"Fuck!" Merlin almost screamed, and the techs at the keyboards flinched but continued their work.

"How many?" Roxy whispered.

"Twenty-eight," Amelia barely whispered.

"Fuckin' hell," Roxy replied, walking forward to the nearest agent. She watched the indescribable code and numbers flash on the screens surrounding her.

"Sir, we can't stop them. This isn't an amateur," Amelia said, sounding defeated.

"Flip the switch, now!" Merlin shouted.

At that, Roxy blinked as everyone else froze, eyes wide.

Amelia cleared her throat.

"But sir, the switch erases everything."

"I know that! We've got backup in a whole other location, for fucks sake, _flip the switch_."

At that one of the techs shot out of their chair, rushing to a wall of blinking lights. He ran his hands over the lights, his hand stopping and pushing against the wall which released a fake computer to show a literal glowing green switch. He threw it down, and suddenly everything stopped.

The red alarm lights went out. The screens, the blinking lights surrounding them went out, leaving the room in darkness.

They all caught their breaths before a loud humming sound filled the air and the emergency lights came on.

Roxy looked to Merlin, standing still as ever, his hands in fists at his sides. He took in two steady breaths before he spoke in an unnervingly calm tone.

"Report _._ "

Amelia faltered, her skin growing white. She gripped her clip-pad in her arms tight.

"I said _now_ , agent!," Merlin's calm composure broke. Amelia jumped but brought up her clip-pad, fingers flying across the screen. She took in a breath.

"Full access sir," she whispered, before clearing her throat, "They've gained full access. Our double agents, past mission logs and… and… they – they"

"They what?" Merlin yelled, Roxy jumping along with Amelia.

"Our safe house locations, sir… All of them," Amelia whispered.

Roxy took in a breath, something stabbing at her heart.

Eggsy. Ariel. Countless other agents…

"Get evac teams to every single affected agent, NOW! Dispatch everything and everyone we have. _Move._ "


	29. Chapter 29

"Jesus Christ," she let out on a breath as she turned onto her back, disengaging her body from his as she caught her breath and stared at the ceiling, her entire body still shivering from the aftermath.

"Agreed," Eggsy whispered, catching his own breath as he shifted in the bed, his arm coming to wrap around her waist. He licked a bead of sweat off the skin between her breasts and she shivered.

"Enough, enough," she said, partly laughing.

"Never enough," he muttered, kissing her skin, moving down her stomach…

"Food… I… food," she said, barely able to put together a full sentence.

Eggsy sighed but nodded.

"Sustenance. Before I get back to-"

"Okay," she interrupted, sitting up, "I'll get it this time."

"Pop Tarts?" he asked.

"Pop Tarts," she confirmed as she jumped out of the bed, quickly pulling on her underwear and walking to the dresser to grab one of Eggy's dress shirts, fidgeting with a few of the buttons so she was covered enough.

"Five minutes and I'm comin' after you," Eggsy said, his voice strained as he stretched.

She shook her head as she made her way to the kitchen, opening the cupboard and bringing out the last box of Pop Tarts that they had. It was their fallback… these past few days the both of them didn't have much energy to make anything else, no matter who woke up first. She was surprised they weren't going through coffee withdrawal…

She poured herself a glass of cold water as she waited, humming to herself as she slowly sipped to kill time as she watched the toaster.

It finally dinged, the Pop Tarts ready.

She reached forward to put them on a plate but a rough arm came around her throat, stopping her movement.

She screamed out, throwing an elbow back instinctively, her thoughts racing. The cup of water in her hand dropped, the glass shattering.

_Please, god, please let it be Eggsy testing me…_

"Stay still," a raspy voice whispered into her ear – not Eggsy.

She screamed out, thrashing her body back and forth, but the man had a firm grasp. Every punch and kick she gave was blocked, the arm around her neck tightening.

She gasped for air as the arm around her neck jerked her back.

She was dragged to the main room, kicking and gasping, half screaming with whatever air she had left.

She saw Eggsy being held by two men in black cargo gear, his face bloodied and bruised… a third man standing near with his high grade rifle aimed right at Eggsy's head.

At that, she froze, her body becoming still as she caught her breath.

How the fuck had she not heard anything?

_Humming. Humming blocks the eardrums…_

" _Eggsy!_ " she screamed.

Eggsy let out a soft 'shush' as one of the men holding him gave a quick punch to his abdomen. Eggsy coughed but stayed standing.

She closed her mouth on a gasp, wriggling her body more, trying to find some way out of the man's grasp, but to no avail.

"Let's move," the man holding her barked out. They were all wearing balaclavas, even in this warm weather, to hide their faces.

However the man shaking his head – the man who had just slugged Eggsy in the stomach - had a distinguished scar under his left eye, and she burned it into her memory.

"This fucker took out our comrades," the man snapped.

He let go of Eggsy and the other man did the same. Eggsy dropped to the ground, letting out a soft groan. Once he hit the floor the punches and kicks began, and she let out another scream as the two men took turns, the third man still keeping his aim.

Eggsy maneuvered to stand up, blocking one or two hits, but the scarred man brought out a knife, and Eggsy went down quickly. She blinked her tears away in enough time to see the second man bring out his pistol, making that two guns aimed at him.

She saw a haze of red, anger making her body shake as she let out a loud scream and threw her head back, making contact with the man holding her. His grip loosened and she turned in his grasp, her hands moving to his waist. Her fingers found the holster she was hoping was there and she grabbed his gun, stomping her foot down on top of his as she ducked away.

She straightened, swinging it around at the men, her grip steady but her hand shaking.

"Stand down!" she yelled, breathing heavily.

The men stopped and she heard Eggsy call out her name - but one of them bent down, their leg kicking his gut.

She swung her arm to him, aiming at his head.

"Do it again and I'll drop you," she said softly, not recognizing the deadliness in her voice.

At that, the four men all turned their weapons straight at Eggsy.

"Drop the gun or we end him."

She took in a deep breath – only now realizing she might've acted before she thought it through; that her and Eggsy were outnumbered. She heard him let out a soft groan and cough from his place on the floor, his arms wrapped around his ribs.

She frowned, her grip tightening on the gun. She didn't need to think anything through – it was about time that she saved him instead of the other way around. They might have a chance of two against four. If they made it to the room full of weapons…

She looked at the men, only their eyes showing in their ski masks – staring sternly at her, their weapons still aimed right at Eggsy.

She heard him call her name again. He was staring up at her, and when she met his gaze he shook his head, small drops of blood falling from his face onto the hardwood floor of what used to be a safe-house. She only noticed now that he was wearing only boxers. His body was just as bloodied and bruised as his face.

A hard shiver racked through her body and her mind went numb.

He called her name again and she blinked, his eyes coming into focus.

Did he know what she was thinking of doing?

Her hand was shaking, and she brought her other arm up to hold the gun steady.

"Drop it, or we end him!" one of them shouted, bending down to bring the barrel of his pistol flush against Eggsy's temple.

She moved her hand and brought the barrel of the gun under her chin, switching off the safety; the click erupting the silence.

" _Ariel!_ "

"Drop the gun!" one of them yelled, their stances faltering, their guns losing aim at Eggsy as they looked at each other in confusion at what to do. Inside her mind she celebrated the victory.

She was in control now. And she knew what she had to do.

"You need me alive, right? You want me!?" she shouted, "Then he lives. You kill him, I pull this trigger without a second thought. Your move, lads."

The four men all took a step forward. The one closest to her dropped his rifle, the strap keeping it on his shoulder as he raised his hands in a sign of surrender.

The three men around Eggsy also stepped back, but their hands stayed at their sides.

"Good, good. Now you all leave, and I'll follow."

"Ariel, no!"

"Shut up," one of the men muttered, kicking him again. The one next to him followed, kicking and bending over to punch at his body.

"Stop it!" she screamed, crying more, but she could only keep the gun aimed at herself.

"Didn't say anything about roughing him up," the man closest to her said, hands still raised.

She looked over at Eggsy, lying on the floor, groaning and barely moving as he took the hits. She let out a yell, tilting her head back as she fired at the ceiling, dry-wall falling down around her. She brought the barrel of the gun back to her temple, ignoring the biting feeling the metal had against her skin.

"Stop it NOW," she yelled into the silence.

The men finally listened to her, the ones surrounding Eggsy stepping back and raising their hands, joining the fourth.

"Alright then. We're going, NOW," she yelled the word again for emphasis.

"Ariel, no-"

"You," she said, using her free hand to point at the one closest to her, ignoring the repeated call of her name from Eggsy, "you leave first."

She kept the barrel pressed against her temple, staring at the remaining men surrounding Eggsy as she listened to the man's footsteps falter away onto the porch.

"Alright then," she said, ignoring the shakiness in her voice, "scar face and you-" she pointed at the other man closest to Eggsy, "are next."

They both faltered and she twitched the finger already on the trigger. They both froze but moved forward, following their comrade, leaving one last man with her and Eggsy.

"Ariel," Eggsy barely whispered. She took in a deep breath, pressing the barrel deeper into her skin as she met the dark hazel gaze of the last man.

"Just you and me, buddy. One move towards him, I pull the trigger. Got it?"

The man kept her gaze, taking two steps forward. Even with the ski mask she saw the pull of skin on his eye, meaning he was raising his eyebrow.

A challenge.

Without a blink she threw her hand forward, shooting twice as she aimlessly pointed in his direction before pulling back to resume pointing the weapon at her head.

She hit his leg it seemed, as he dropped on one knee, yelling out.

There were other yells from behind her, but the man on the floor yelled for them to stand down.

She nodded as the man stood up, limping in her direction but keeping his distance.

Ariel looked back at Eggsy, on his stomach, crawling slowly towards them. He looked up and met her gaze, and to her surprise he smiled.

"Love, you," he said softly, coughing a little bit of blood but wiping it away.

Her heart stopped, her eyes becoming wet as time around her slowed down; everything surrounding her turning into a haze.

She blinked, and a tear fell down her cheek.

"I love you," she whispered, the gun in her hand feeling ten times heavier than before.

This time when she was gabbed from behind, her wrist twisting so she let go of the gun, she didn't fight back. She didn't scream or yell… she kept Eggsy's gaze. He was safe now.

"I love you," she repeated louder as she was dragged through the doorway. She repeated it, a mantra in her head as she heard the blades of a helicopter start up and she was dragged on board. She cried out when she saw that Eggsy had managed to crawl to the doorway.

"Shut it, bitch, you got what you wanted," one of them seethed right into her ear as the helicopter lifted off the ground.

She shouted "I love you!" yet again as her arms were brought behind her back and tied, a black bag over her head disarming her from the sight of Eggsy on the floor of the safe house, a hand raised out as though he could reach her.


	30. Chapter 30

"Eggsy, you should be in-"

"Are we any closer to findin' her?!" he yelled at Merlin, wincing and clutching his ribs tighter, but he stood through the pain.

She was gone. They finally had each other – and then she was taken away. The look on her face as she said those three words over and over again as she was dragged onto the helicopter...

He let out a growl and turned to Amelia – Merlin wasn't cooperating.

"Where… is… she?!"

Her eyes widened before she shook her head, taking a step back.

"Eggsy, for fuck's sake, sit down-" Roxy started, but he shook his head.

"She's _gone_. Where is she? How the fuck did they know where we were?!" he almost screamed the last part.

"Galahad, stand down!" Merlin shouted.

Eggsy took in a breath as he finally took a seat since the helicopter that had picked up his broken, bloody and beaten body touched down at Headquarters – he had refused medical service. He knew he was probably bleeding on his seat, on the desk, on the floor of the Dining Room, and was still only in his boxers and a blanket an agent had given him, but didn't care.

He looked around the room; Merlin with a cold face, Roxy looking disheartened, and Amelia… she looked heartbroken just as he did, her eyes and nose red.

"This is on me, Galahad. The last man we didn't catch, he must've been tech… someone broke through our firewalls – gained access to everything…" she faded off, looking away.

He took in a deep breath, shaking his head.

"It's.. it's not on you. It's on me. I shouldv'e... Where is she?!" he yelled out again, his head feeling faint.

"Eggsy! Oh god, why wasn't he rushed to medical?" he heard Roxy proclaim, but his eyesight was going out of focus.

"Is that blood?" he heard someone ask, his vision was blurry now…

"What the fuck? She's gone. I lost her," he whispered to himself as his vision turned black.

* * *

Ariel awoke with a yell, sitting up and looking around.

All she saw was white. White walls, floors, sheets… she shook her head as tears escaped her eyes and she moved her hands, metal clinking as she realized she was handcuffed to a small cot. She let out a soft sob as she shook her head, rattling the metal trapping her there.

She closed her eyes, the final image of a broken and beaten Eggsy calling out her name flashing under her eyelids, saying those words... and let out another sob.

She started screaming.

She didn't know what else to do. After everything, she was captured. The same people that murdered her parents had her.

She was alone. There was no way for the Kingsman to know where she was. No help was coming. Eggsy wasn't coming.

She screamed even harder, clenching her eyes tight, her throat hurting.

She heard a door slam open and stopped abruptly, seeing a young man in a white coat staring at her wide eyed.

"Jesus, I thought-"

She started screaming again, even harder this time. The man frantically searched his pockets as he rushed forward. She felt a pinch in her neck and her breath was lost, the screams stopping, her vision blurring.

"Report to Oliver – she woke up but needed another sedative."

Oliver. Finally, a name to all of this.

_Oliver. Oliver. Oliver._

She repeated the name in her head before she faded to black.

* * *

The next time, she was slapped awake.

She felt the sting on her cheek as her eyes opened and she righted herself, realizing she was now tied to a chair.

This room was also white. But there were others with her.

Five men: two at the door, two others in opposite corners, and the fifth standing right in front of her. He held an air of authority - he was dressed casually and not in white - as he grinned down at her, long black and oily hair slicked back on his head.

"Oliver," she spat.

He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.

"Ariel, it's a pleasure."

"Can't say the same," she said, wriggling her body, the ropes on her wrists and ankles burning her skin. She kept moving despite the pain.

Oliver sighed and nodded to one of the men in the corner. The man walked forward, reaching into his lab jacket to bring a syringe out.

She cried out, struggling harder against the rope, the pain just bearable.

"We'll talk later when you're willing to cooperate," he said as she felt a hard pinch in her neck, her vision blurring.

"Later will be a long time then," she barely muttered before she fell into blackness yet again.

* * *

Time stopped for her.

She was kept in the white bedroom, with the white walls and floor and ceiling, and even white metal cot with the white metal handcuffs that she was forced into each night, and then released from each morning.

For the first few days she woke up but feigned sleep, waiting for them to come in and unlock her from the handcuffs before she threw punches. The closest she got away was her fingers wrapping around the doorway of her 'cell' before being knocked out. Since then, they gave her a heavy sedative each night – and she awoke alone and unlocked from the cuffs.

She paced the room. Measured the width, height, and radius with her steps. She practiced handstands against the wall. She even trained a little, moving around, punching and kicking invisible opponents, but that was soon stopped when a large man came in and threatened to sedate her through the week.

From there she moved to speaking aloud recipes from memory, the periodic timetable, songs that she knew all of the lyrics to, and even the first fifteen minutes of dialogue from Iron Man, which she had seen countless times.

It all slowed to a snail pace once she only had the State Farm jingle in her head – and nothing else. Singing aloud "We Are Farmers, bum badum badum bum bum" could only do so much. And apparently, it did damage to one's psyche because after her second day in a row of handstands, pacing, cross-legged sitting, and singing that fucking jingle in her head – she caved.

She stood in the middle of the room, fighting back tears.

She was giving up, but not her hope. Because if she maybe went along with whatever was in store for her – she could find a way out. And if not that… then maybe a way to get back to Eggsy.

She took a deep breath, staring into one of the five cameras in the room she had located her first day there.

"I'm ready to cooperate."

* * *

"Merlin!" Amelia shouted as she rushed into the Dining Room.

Both he and Eggsy shot out of their chairs, Eggsy wincing at the movement.

Four broken ribs, internal bleeding, multiple stitches and one surgery later, Eggsy was now officially out of bed. However he was now a regular customer of Medical, tearing stitches as he trained - despite being advised against it.

"Report, Amelia," Merlin said.

"Please," Eggsy whispered, holding his side as he sat back down slowly.

Amelia glanced at Eggsy, nodding in confidence before she looked at her superior.

"South East."

Merlin raised an eyebrow, and Eggsy frowned, scratching his chin, the sound of his fingers on his stubble filling the stunned silence. He hadn't really groomed since he had come back empty handed and without Ariel. He was living on site at Headquarters, in one of the rooms designated for agents who needed rest before a new mission with no time to go home, or, for the more unlucky ones, a room designated for an agent who was grounded and restricted from further missions.

"Isn't that an Airline?" he asked.

Amelia shook her head.

"No, that's SouthWest. I'm saying South East, of the United States. That's the best estimate we could get."

"How?" Merlin asked.

Amelia nodded, moving her hands over the clip-pad to bring up the found information to project on the glass of the table. Eggsy winced as he reached to bring out his glasses before putting them on, glancing down.

"They were able to scramble our safe house cameras of the exteriors, but just barely. With that, we were able to discern only a few numbers of the serial number on the chopper that took her… and with cross referencing and more research, we've triangulated to the cluster of the South East United States. Not to say that the aircraft was noted at various locations nation-wide. However, the South East area of the states is where the chopper is most frequented."

Eggsy sat up in his seat.

"This is great-"

"Galahad, while it may seem like a huge step, it's pretty small. We forget that the size of the UK compared to the United States is… well… tiny," Amelia said softly, her head tilted down to avoid his gaze.

Eggsy took in a deep breath before his fists came down hard on the glass table, making Amelia jump.

"How small are we talkin' here?"

"In rough terms, there are twelve states that make up the South East portion of the nation. And… and the UK could fit inside the range of five of the twelve."

"Fuckin' hell," Eggsy muttered, before shaking his head and apologizing to Merlin. He kept his head bent and took several deep breaths.

"What can we do to minimize the range of location?" Merlin asked.

Amelia looked to her superior.

"We're already combing through the records of the owners of the buildings that have helipads, as well as cross referencing satellite images of either designated or rogue helipads within the range..."

Eggsy blocked out their talk, sitting in his chair, staring down at the glass of the table.

He felt he might've torn a stich in his outbreak as he hit the table - he felt a trickle of blood fall down his rib, but didn't care. He'd done worse the past few weeks.

The look on Ariel's face as she stared at him, a gun flush against her temple. The way she yelled out and shot the man who was kicking at him…

The look on her face as she whispered "I love you" repeatedly as she was dragged away…

"How can I help?" he found himself asking.

Both Ameilia and Merlin halted their talking, and Eggsy stood up.

"One of the men, he had a scar on his eye. We know the identities of the man in the cab, one or two of the men from her apartment – there has to be a connection, either through employ or military connections," he said.

Amelia cleared her throat, looking at Merlin who nodded at her before looking back to him.

"We've got a large database of suspected connections…"

"Lemme look, let me _help_ ," he said, his voice cracking.

Merlin stood up.

"Galahad, I'm not sure if your personal-"

"This shit got personal the moment they put three of our own in intensive care," Eggsy snapped, looking at Merlin, who only raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir," Eggsy said, letting out a deep breath, "there is a part that is specifically personal for me, however from what Lancelot told me when I got back, their hack got more than just were Ariel and I were. Our agency is at risk. So yeah, it's personal, understand?"

Merlin blinked but then nodded.

"I do, Galahad. Get to work."


	31. Chapter 31

She awoke slowly, first her body waking up, then her legs and arms moving against restraints before she opened her eyes and blinked herself into focus.

This room was different.

Amongst the starch white, metal tables with various lab equipment surrounded her. She turned her head back and forth and saw a wall of glass in front of her; but the room behind the glass was encased in smoke.

She groaned, blinking her eyes more, shaking her head, trying to get her baring. She felt as if she'd slept a few days. She couldn't even remember what happened after she announced her cooperation in her 'cell'.

She heard a hiss and stayed still, staring at the ground as multiple footsteps entered behind her. Two feet came into her view and she slowly raised her head, trying to give her best death glare as she saw who was in front of her. She almost blanched.

The sight of the oily Oliver was jarring enough, but next to him was a larger man, with a scar under his left eye.

He was in the safe-house. One of the men that beat on Eggsy.

"I'm going to enjoy hurting you," she said evenly, staring at him and his scar.

The man only ticked his eyebrow and looked to Oliver, who laughed.

"Oh aren't you precious! It was hard to believe what my men told me you did when they captured you, but I'm slowly starting to believe them now…"

She moved her gaze to Oliver, and only stared.

"Well, now that we're all acquainted, it's time to get to work!"

"You can't force me to do anything. You need me alive, for some fucked up reason. But you didn't bring any leverage. Perhaps a miscalculation on your part?" she replied.

Oliver's eyes sparked as he smiled.

"Oh, I was hoping you would say that. It lets me skip straight to the best part!"

He clapped his hands three times as he and the scarred man stepped out of her view, leaving her looking at the foggy room before her.

There was another hiss and the smoke slowly dissipated, showing three men kneeling in the middle. Once the smoke disappeared they all jumped up and ran to the glass, their faces distraught as they banged against the barrier, their cries and yells completely muted.

"The highest fiber of bulletproof glass. Three layers, and you completely soundproof anything. Our most esteemed politicians use it for their homes and transportation these days. It's a bitch for gas, but you know how it goes; the baby wants it, they get it."

Politicians… greedy Politician's…

"We're in The States?" she made the connection out loud.

Oliver smiled again.

"Oh, you're better than I imagined! Great thinking, just like your parents, my dear. We are indeed in the United States. Interesting you call it The States, despite this being your home… or has that Brit agent truly got into those panties?"

She refrained from yelling out in retaliation, but instead moved her wrists and legs against her restraints.

"'The States' haven't been my home for a while. But something tells me you already know that… _Oliver_. Something also tells me you knew my parents, even," she said sternly, moving her wrists. The skin was already peeling away and bloody, but she didn't care. She knew that breaking her thumb could get her out of the restraints – but surrounded, with no weapons in sight… it wasn't the best move at this time.

Oliver only grinned that evil grin, making her body shiver unintentionally.

"That, my dear, is for another time," he said, walking towards the glass and stepping aside, "For now, I'm here to prove that I do indeed have leverage, Ariel."

At that, a door opened inside the glass room, and an abnormally large man stepped inside, his head ducked down in the doorway before he stood up straight.

Ariel stared at the… Thing. He was no man. He was too big. His veins, running red and purple against his skin stood out like tattoos. His eyes were hollow and colorless.

The three men still clamoring at the glass grew even more frantic, now running around the glass, kicking and punching to try and get out - but to no avail. The Thing stood silent, unmoving.

Ariel only stared, unsure what would happen if she spoke.

"There it is. Well, even though you are finally deciding to stay silent, I still need to make an example," Oliver said, turning to the glass. "Sorry, boys."

Ariel felt her heart drop and yelled out as Oliver raised his hand, closing it into a fist.

At the signal, the Thing moved quickly to the man closer to him, his mouth open wide in a silent scream as two hands held his head and twisted it.

Even though she couldn't hear through the glass, the snap of the man's neck echoed through her as she cried out.

The Thing continued, moving to the next man, grabbing his arm and tearing it away from his body as though pulling a weed, and then punching the man's head, blood and bits of skin splattering against the glass as the skull caved in.

Ariel screamed again, her head feeling faint at the gore happening in front of her. She closed her eyes tight, shaking her head.

_This can't be happening._

"Keep your eyes open if you want the third to live," Oliver snapped.

She opened her eyes.

"Stop! Just stop, I get it, I understand," she said through her tears, sobs racking her entire body, her wrists and ankles rubbing against the restraints even more.

She looked at the last man alive. His hands were on the glass separating them, his eyes pleading.

"Please, just-"

"Like I said dear, I need to make an example," Oliver said.

Ariel watched as the Thing jumped on him, its hands moving lightning fast around the man's neck as he squeezed. The man's head dropped, barely hanging on – the skin torn through to the spine.

Ariel screamed out as she closed her eyes.

She continued screaming, but stopped when a hand slapped her cheek.

She opened her eyes and turned her head to Oliver. He said the last man would live… but still let him die. Despite what she had seen, despite the men dying because of her… she calculated it as a move of power; _'Don't test me'_.

Ariel took in a shuddering breath, blinking her eyes of her tears as she stared straight at Oliver.

The man only smiled, and Ariel felt violated.

"Well, I can only help this serves as an example for what will happen if you defy me. Each time I hear the word 'no', three more men will meet their fate," Oliver said, motioning at the dead, lifeless, bloody bodies in the room.

Ariel stayed silent; thinking up different ways to kill Oliver in her head.

Oliver grinned again, as though he knew what she was thinking.

"Oh, and I forgot to add, Zero-three-eleven is going to be your guard. So think twice the next time you feign sleep for an attempt at escape."

Ariel moved her gaze to the 'Thing', also known as Zero-Three-Eleven. It stared straight at a spot behind her, his chest heaving, his veins more prominent than before.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

The next time she awoke, the air in the room was static. She slowly sat up and looked around, and sure enough, 0311 was standing in the corner, lifeless and unmoving.

She swung her legs and stood up, slowly moving towards him, looking into his eyes which tracked her movement.

She swallowed on a dry mouth.

"Can you hear me?" she asked.

He stayed unmoving.

"Do you have a name? Other than zero-three-eleven?"

He didn't even flinch.

"No? Well, can I call you something other than a number? Yeah?" she asked. She paced in front of him, tapping a finger on her chin before she stopped. "Oh! How about Stephen? Like Stephen King. I mean… really, no offense, but if he saw you he'd have a complete trilogy of novels out within months."

She watched as his eyes faltered on hers for more than a second before he looked away, standing even straighter, his muscles bulging more than usual.

Ariel stopped and looked up at him, waiting for another moment of weakness.

She raised her arm, her hand shaking, as she moved to touch his arm…

A loud screech filled the room and she winced, her hands moving to cover her ears. She felt a strong grasp on her waist and was soon in the air – she opened her eyes to see the 'Thing' holding her as though she was a piece of paper as he walked and then shoved her down onto the cot.

She caught her breath, but knew it would be smart to stay put.

" _He has an assigned number for a reason. Someone as smart as you can figure that out, dear,"_ a voice – Oliver's – filled the room.

Ariel bit the inside of her cheek and stayed silent. Zero-three-eleven. The third-hundred and eleventh man to forgo whatever experiment. It had to have been an experiment – nobody was born that way.

" _I worked with your parents. I only knew you as the growing bump inside of Selena's growing womb. She was a great woman, your mother. Even seven months pregnant, and she was still in the lab with your father and I, working towards a greater cause."_

Ariel's stomach dropped at the mention of her parents. The people who raised her, who knew her… but she never really knew them.

But it all fell into place: her parent's work, their deaths… the break-ins, the Kingsman interfering, the attempted abductions… it was all Oliver.

He worked with them. And, since she was now being held against her will… she was expected to finish her parent's work.

" _Multiple spy organizations from around the world came to us after our succession of a drug to dampen the symptoms of turrets. After that, what couldn't we do?"_

Ariel stood in front of the 'Thing', staring back just as hard as he was staring.

" _I work for a larger corporation, the same that hired the three of us. But when your parents figured out their work was to be bought by the military and not pharmaceutical companies, they ran away. And they succeeded, obviously. It took me this long to find you. To find their work…"_

She only stood straight – staring at the 'thing' as hard as he was staring back: unthinkingly, unemotionally.

" _But now I've found you. The progeny. The one who will make the wish come true."_

She stared at Zero-three-eleven, tilting her head.

"Why call him a number?" she asked aloud, watching the 'Thing's' eyes falter at her comment, "why not name him. I mean, he's a success – why else would he be my bodyguard?"

" _Typical woman – always finding something to find a connection to. It's useless, dearie."_

"Dearie is a name to find connection, Oliver. Maybe check up on your sexism," she replied, staring still at 0311...

"Stephen," she barely mouthed. Zero-three-eleven showed no reaction, and she took it as acceptance.

"Stephen it is," she softly whispered.

" _When Zero-three-eleven brings you into a different room, you are to work with the two scientists oh so luckily assigned to you, and finish the concoction with success. Failure results in three more deaths. Understand?"_

Ariel stared at the now named Stephen, then to the nearest corner of the room where she knew a camera was.

"Clear as crystal, Oliver."

* * *

To stay alive, and to keep other innocent hearts still beating, Ariel worked.

However, as she figured from talking to him, Oliver had no idea what he was doing. He was impressed that he got to work with her parents in the first place.

She had purposely mislabeled multiple ingredients, even concocted a solution that was sure to fail… and yet when she told him the ingredients, Oliver's exclamations sounded as though it was a new breakthrough.

When it wasn't, she pretended well enough that it must have been a mis-measure of ingredients, and she was sent back to her room, Stephen standing in the corner.

Ariel spent more time working on Stephen then she did faking working on the solution Oliver wanted. She would tell him cheesy jokes as soon as she woke up. Try to tell a funny quip or fact as the other men entered to room to handcuff her before leading her to the lab.

Whenever Ariel laughed, Stephen, aka the Thing, would twitch his mouth. Whenever she acted scared under Oliver's words, his eyes would harden, and even once she saw his eyebrows furrow.

She knew he was getting to him. Even though she had seen him decimate three men in under a minute – she knew that she herself wasn't someone to be killed… so no matter what she did she would be okay.

It was a twisted way to work. But it was a way to stay alive.

For now.


	32. Chapter 32

The two scientists who worked with her called her façade the first day.

There was Leon, a scraggly old man with glasses that she suspected he purposefully left low on his nose so he could literally look down his nose at her even though she was at least a foot taller. He gave her concerned looks when he caught her mislabeling ingredients, and he would make a show of printing a new and correct label.

Then there was Klaus, maybe as old as she was, who reminded her of Harry Potter with his constantly disheveled hair and round framed glasses. He would wait for Klaus to turn his back before he ripped off the labels so they were wrongly identified again, giving her a look, even winking once with his back turned to the cameras.

Leon seemed almost OCD, so after the second day Klaus would 'double check' her work, and comfort Leon; they made their sides apparent.

She once tried small talk with the both of them, but Oliver's voice filled the room, telling them to get to work, that they weren't 'around the water cooler', whatever that meant. But at least she learned earlier on there weren't just cameras, but mic's as well.

She felt numb every day, just going through the motions as she made 'concoctions' without even measuring, thinking, theorizing what would happen. Sometimes the test rats would die, sometimes nothing happened to them. But as long as she kept working in the lab, even though she was sabotaging, she would stay alive. Figure a way out. Maybe the Kingsman had a lead, and they were on their way.

And then… And then came the 'success'.

For some reason unbeknownst to her – despite her purposefully mis-measuring ingredients, making placebo mixtures… her next batch of concoctions worked on the new lab-rats.

The three of them stood there, all equally dumbfounded at the first rat, it's veins popping through its fur, throwing itself angrily against the walls of the glass cage, cracking one side.

Leon clapped, fucking clapped, and she felt sick as Oliver's voice filled the room – this time in person. She turned and saw him walk forward nonchalantly, looking like a kid on Christmas morning, rubbing his hands together.

"Knew all of this hard work was worth it," he said, leering at her before briefly talking with Leon.

"How-" she whispered to Klaus, who only shook his head, reaching to squeeze her shoulder before pulling back.

"Stay strong," he lipped to her.

She took a deep breath before walking towards Oliver and Leon, still staring at the rat. The glass cage was all spidery cracks now. One more hard hit and it would break…

Oliver reached forward, pressing a button that was underneath each cage, and a gas filled the small glass box. There were multiple squeals – she winced but still looked, she had to put on a face – and when the fog cleared, the rat was dead.

She took in a shuddering breath.

"Time to test!" Oliver cried.

Leon was quick – he grabbed two rats and placed them in the same glass case – he injected one with the recent concoction.

"How long for symptoms to arise?" Oliver asked.

"Five minutes, sir," Klaus said. Ariel turned her head to gape at him, and he gave her another look. She could never discern his 'looks' but she just figured all of them were saying one way or another: 'I'm here trying to survive, just like you'.

It was the longest five minutes of her life.

She heard an unnatural sound and turned away, squeezing her eyes tight at the sounds of tearing skin, squeals, and chewing. She fought the tears back – she wouldn't let a man like Oliver see her so weak again.

Oliver clapped, laughing.

"Amazing. Absolutely amazing."

She bent forward on the nearest counter, holding her head in her hands.

"Why so glum, dearie? It worked! Celebrate your success!"

She raised her head, looking around the counter – and found a small glass test tube. She grabbed it and turned, smashing it against Oliver's head.

He yelled out in pain and she smiled when she saw blood on his face.

"Call me 'dearie' _one more time_ , you fucking prick! DO IT!" she screamed as strong arms surrounded her. She knew it was Stephen, and she didn't care as she fought back, kicking out, struggling against his grip. The grip grew tighter, and she caught her breath.

"Back in the cell. Two days without food – but give her water. Don't want her dying on us," Oliver snapped orders before looking at her, glaring.

She only smiled. There were flecks of blood across his forehead, temple, and cheek. The doctors would have a grand ol' time getting the shards of glass out of his skin.

"Last warning," Oliver said sternly.

She tilted her head.

"Or what, you'll kill me?" she asked.

Oliver smiled, and she faltered, her stomach in a free fall…

"You've got a success, at least with the rats. If the symptoms continue on to human testing, I won't have need for you anymore."

"What?!" she cried out, "This was _one_ successful test. We don't even know how it will effect human physiology…"

"Do I need to make another example about the word 'no'?" Oliver snapped.

Ariel let her eyes do the talking – blatantly glaring at him, her hands forming into fists so tight she felt her nails digging into the skin of her palms – as she stared him down.

"Unlike you, I actually value human life."

Oliver raised an eyebrow, but shrugged.

"No matter your lip – you've delivered! Take her away," Oliver said, waving a hand as he turned back to the rats.

She screamed and yelled all the way back to her cell before she was poked with another needle, and blackness overcame her.

* * *

The next face Eggsy saw, stranger or friend, he was gonna punch them.

He was sitting in the Dining Room with Amelia for who knows how long, Eggsy monotonously repeating "No… nope… no… Christ, is that a real face?... not him… no…"

They were looking through all possible suspects with a scar on their face – the only lead they had from the men at the safe-house. That, and other than Ariel being held in the South East territory of the States.

"Come on, Eggsy, just twenty more," Amelia said, bringing up the next photo. Eggsy groaned but kept his eyes on the screen. He rejected a few more pictures, but then yelled out.

"What?!" Amelia said, looking at the screen, "Him?"

"Nah, go back, slowly…"

Amelia nodded, swiping back through the photos.

"Stop!" he yelled out, standing up.

The photo was a candid, taken from a surveillance agent. But Eggsy knew those eyes – glaring, chummy, and disgusting at the same time.

"That's the motha fucker," Eggsy said, his heartbeat racing, "That's 'im."

Amelia zoomed in on the image.

"Are you sure? He was wearing a mask…"

"Nah, I know that look. I've seen that look up close. The scar, hits below his eye just right… It's him."

Amelia called for Roxy and Merlin, and Eggsy paced around the room as they waited. The moment Merlin came through the doorway, Eggsy started rambling.

"It's him the scar is in the same place and the build the height some of his hairs was peekin' out – it's _him-_ "

Merlin held out a hand and he stopped, taking in a deep breath and falling into the seat.

"Good work, the both of you. We're a step closer to figuring this out," Merlin said, looking at Amelia, and then Eggsy, his eyebrow twitching.

"I ain't the computer genius," Eggsy said, waving his hand.

Amelia looked down, smiling.

"That being said," Merlin said. All heads turned to him, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Amelia… do what you do best. Find our asset."

There was a beat of silence before she cleared her throat.

"Uhm, done, sir."

There was another beat of silence, and Eggsy stood up.

"Pardon?" Merlin asked.

"Already done. The intel was there once Galahad identified him. Hired merc and extraction expert, his past ten jobs have all come from an offshore account that can be linked to Tennessee."

"What's in Tenesse?"

"No, Tenne-see," Roxy said.

Eggsy shook his head.

"Who gives a fuck their weird names. What's there?"

"This is the… kicker, one would say," Amelia muttered, tapping on her clip-pad, brining information onto the table. They all looked down through their glasses.

"What the fuck is a Crystal Corp?" Eggsy said, staring down at the glass on the table.

"They mainly produce over the counter medication, cough medicine and the like, waterproof Band-Aids…" Amelia continued tapping on her clip-pad, "and it seems even gel inserts for shoes."

"But…" Roxy said.

"But…" Amelia repeated, "their specialty is pharmaceuticals. They've had trouble with the FDA multiple times, but it seems they settled each case. Even have a military contract."

"Fuck," Eggsy muttered.

"Agreed. Drugs and military never have a desirable outcome. Amelia," Merlin said, "Can you pinpoint a location. One state is a large amount of land to comb through."

She nodded.

"Give me an hour or so, I'll go downstairs, recruit some assistance," she said, her head tucked down to her clip pad as she exited the Dining Room. Eggsy was surprised she didn't run into the wall.

He turned to Merlin, his hands curling into fists.

"What's next?" he asked.

Merlin looked to Roxy, then Eggsy, and then sat down at the head of the table.

"We do what we do best."


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! | ¡Disfrutar! | Genießen | 請享用 | God fornøjelse | Zövq almaq | Mėgautis | להנות | استمتع | Uživati | का आनंद लें

She woke up groggy, the usual thing for her now. For a moment she wondered if being sedated so many times was doing any damage to her body or brain, but tucked the thought away, since that wasn't her main concern now. She blinked in the white walls and shot up in bed, jumping out and finding Stephen in the corner in his usual position.

She rushed forward, and stopped herself from grabbing his arms in desperation.

"How long have I been out?" she asked, even though she knew she wouldn't get an answer. She never did, so she looked for any physical clues.

Stephen only looked at her. His arm twitched… but he stood still.

"Have they started human tests, Stephen?! Please!" she yelled.

He stayed still as stone, silent as ever.

"They start human testing without further research, something _will_ happen. Something like what happened to you. Or worse, Stephen. Would you really wish that on someone else?"

His left eye twitched, but he stayed silent.

She let out a scream and walked towards the door, moving up onto her toes as she looked out the small window – but there was only more white, but she could see the shoulder of a guard at her door.

She banged on the door and the man turned, leering at her.

"Have they started human testing?! It won't work!" she yelled.

The man smirked and then raised his hand, cupping it behind his ear.

She glared and opened her mouth but stopped when the lights went out and everything turned black. She blinked, knowing she was awake. She could see faint light in the hall – a good sign; a window.

There were a few more moments of pitch dark before there was a rumble and a different set of lights came on.

Emergency lights.

It was a power failure.

She looked out the window, and the guard was gone.

She turned to Stephen, confused. Even he seemed unsure, his rigid posture seemed lax…

She walked to the middle of the room, turning towards one of the cameras as she raised both arms, middle fingers flying…

She waited, and waited, but nothing happened.

She cried out, happy, scared, confused. They were here.

Eggsy, The Kingsman, were here. It _had_ to be them.

She had to get out. She only had a small belief that she'd gotten to Stephen, but there was still the chance if she waited for them to come get her that he'd attack.

She looked around the room, but there was only the toilet and the cot, which were both bolted to the ground. She sighed and went to the toilet, lifting up the seat and checking out how it was attached… she pulled and tried to twist it, but had no luck. She went to the bed and took a case off one of the pillows and went back, putting it through the seat and putting her foot on the bowl as she pulled on the fabric, wrapping it around her hands.

No luck.

She let out a frustrated scream as she grabbed the pillow case, wrapped it around her hand, and went to the door. She punched the window, but nothing happened except pain in her knuckles. She shook out her hand and tried again, at a different angle. Nothing.

She screamed out as she threw her hand back before throwing it at the window. She made a small crack. She smiled, and moved her hand to punch again but a strong grip stopped her.

She turned to Stephen, standing close to her. She only glared.

"I'll go down fighting if I have to. But I'm getting out of here."

He didn't say anything, only tightened his grip on her arm as he pulled her away. She took a step forward but faltered when he punched one edge of the door. It made a loud bang, and when he pulled his fist back, there was a large dent. He punched the other corner, making another dent before he knelt down, doing the same to the bottom corners.

He stood up and gave one final punch to the glass, breaking it into shards immediately. He then stuck his hands through and pulled, his muscles straining, his veins popping more than she thought physically possible… and then the door gave way with a clink. Stephen took a step back, holding the door, and then threw it to the side before he turned to face her.

She only stared, but then nodded.

To her surprise, Stephen nodded back, clenching his hands into fists. She noticed blood dripping from one hand and stepped forward, unwinding the pillow case from her hand.

She looked into his eyes as she brought the fabric to her mouth, tearing the pillowcase in half before she reached forward, grabbing his hands with slight resistance as she wrapped the fabric around each of his bloody palm, tying a knot and tucking in the excess fabric.

"Let's go."

* * *

Roxy took down another guard as Eggsy reloaded.

"It's a fuckin' army," he muttered, looking back and forth down the hall.

"Military contract probably came with benefits," Roxy muttered, searching the man's pockets. She then let out a satisfied hum as she stood up, holding a piece of paper. She opened it and smiled, turning the page to face him.

He looked at the roughly drawn map, showing each floor and wing, labeled with scribbles. The guard must've been a newbie, frustrated with the layout as much as they were. Even though they'd dispatched a good amount of guards and soldiers, on the first floor they'd gone in a circle while doing so.

"Rox, have I told ya you're brilliant?" he asked, taking it and looking it over.

"Once or twice," she said, smiling.

 _"We've found hostages, East Wing. At least twenty or so, we need assistance with extraction,"_ a voice said over the com. Roxy turned to Eggsy, frowning. He already knew she wanted to help.

"Go. I've got this," he said, holding up the map so she could look at it.

Roxy nodded, looking over the map as she checked her pockets.

"How are you on ammo?" she asked.

He bent forward and grabbed a rifle from the guard, also taking his pistol and sliding it into his empty holster.

"I'm good. Go."

Roxy smiled.

"Go get your girl, Eggsy," she said before she ran off down the hall.

He shook his head, grinning as he looked over the map. He saw something labeled "Holding Rooms" only two floors above. It was a start.

* * *

She went to the window at the end of the hall first thing when they got out of the room, but they were at least five floors up – the fall would either kill or severely hurt her. How big was this place?

She turned and shook her head, pointing down a different hall. Stephen went first and she followed. She was barefoot, had no weapons… Stephen was a weapon himself.

They turned another corner and heard shouts and yells from various guards, telling them to stand down. Stephen cracked his neck before he spurred into action, taking them out quickly and gruesomely; she closed her eyes at the sounds and yells, but she didn't feel remorse. They worked for Oliver. They knew what was happening.

She grabbed the weapons off the dead bodies and even held out a pistol to Stephen but he just cracked his neck as he looked around, making sure they were alone. She shrugged and dropped the weapon, instead holding tight the bigger gun, her finger resting near the trigger.

It was soft chaos. There were shouts and yells echoing down every hall, but they'd already gone in a circle – this layout was confusing and there weren't any signs or labels. At least there wasn't an alarm – the power outage had taken care of that.

They turned another corner and there was yet another group. She raised her gun and aimed at the men... but something within her hesitated. She hesitated for too long, and Stephen ran forward amongst shouts and gunfire as he took the group down.

Stephen turned to her, his chest and arms had bullet wounds, one too many to be considered normal for a man standing in front of her.

She couldn't help but stare. What did they do to him? It couldn't have been what her parents were working on…

She took in a shuddering breath, pushing away thoughts of feeling trapped. Would they come across more guards each corner they took?

She readjusted her grip on the rifle as she started walking, Stephen coming into step next to her.

She turned the corner and bumped into someone. She cried out, bringing her hands down on them with the butt of the gun. She had only taken a step back before her legs were swept from under her and she fell, raising her arms to brace her fall, still holding the gun.

She heard a few hits and yells, and then a choking sound. She turned onto her back, swinging her arm up to aim.

She met Eggsy's gaze, his eyes wide, his face red; Stephen had him against the wall, a foot off the ground in a strong chokehold.

"No!" she screamed out, scrambling to stand up. She pushed on Stephen's arm, but he didn't budge.

She brought her hand forward, placing the barrel of the gun on his temple.

"Stephen, stop," she said sternly.

Slowly, Stephen turned his head slowly to look down at her.

"Let him go."

He pulled back his hand and Eggsy fell to the ground, finding his footing but leaning against the wall as he took in deep breaths, coughing.

She dropped her gun as she stepped forward, and he stood up straight, his hands coming to her face.

"Ariel," he whispered before he wrapped his arms around her tightly. She felt things jabbing at her: the hard Kevlar of his bulletproof vest, what she figured were gadgets and such that he'd bring on a mission like this.

"Eggsy," she breathed him in, her arms wrapping around his waist, her whole body shaking.

He pulled back, looking over her shoulder at Stephen.

"Of course you made a friend here," he muttered.

She shook her head, pulling back, but he grabbed onto her shirt and kept her close as they both turned to Stephen.

"This is… Stephen," she said, "he helped me get out."

Eggsy cleared his throat, but then gave him a nod. Stephen stood still.

"Is he…"

"Long story," she muttered, turning to look at him, glad to see his face, his gaze on hers again.

He leant forward and kissed her, hard.

He pulled back, shaking his head as a smile broke out on her face.

"I was here to save you, but I'll definitely settle for helpin' ya get outta here, whad'ya say?"

She only smiled.

"Sounds like a plan. But first, we gotta get to the lab. And then there's Klaus, and even Leon. He's a bastard but doesn't deserve to die."

"Were they hostages? I split with Roxy when they were found…"

She shook her head.

"No, they were scientists."

He stared at her, but then shook his head.

"My directive is to get you out."

She frowned.

"Okay… and I'm not getting out until I know they're safe. And that the lab is destroyed. Have you guys found Oliver?"

He shook his head.

"One directive, Ariel."

She crossed her arms over her chest.

"And my _directive_ is to save lives that deserve saving, Eggsy. You can either come with me or not."

He sighed, and looked at Stephen, who was still standing there, but his head was moving back and forth, on watch. They had been still for long, and thankfully no one had come across them.

Eggsy shook his head, reaching into his pocket and unfolding a piece of paper, holding it out. She looked down, surprised to see it was a map.

"Nicked it off a guard. D'ya know where the lab is? Or where the others might be?"

She could vaguely remember being dragged through halls from the lab to her room, but she didn't remember the path. She then spotted the words "Test Lab" next to "Gas Room" and shuddered as she reached her hand forward and pointed to the spot.

"Here. It's where I worked. I… I faked it all, but somehow there was a success… Oliver was going to start human testing, Eggsy," she said, looking up at him.

He reached a hand forward, squeezing her shoulder.

"It's gonna be alright, Ariel. I'll get 'em," he said, pocketing the paper as he bent down, picking up his specialized pistol.

She frowned.

"Wait, I said we-"

Eggsy stood up and looked over her shoulder, giving a small nod.

She felt strong arms wrap around her from behind.

She shook her head and struggled, knowing it was useless against Stephens grip.

" _Eggsy._ "

"Lost you once, Ariel. It ain't happenin' again, not on my watch," he said. He then looked over her shoulder again. "Get her out of here. Two klicks west is our rendezvous point; we blew a hole in the fence on the east side. Copy?"

There was a beat, where she suspected Stephen gave some sort of sign, and then Eggsy nodded.

"See you soon, luv," he said, raising his hand to cup her cheek before he turned and ran.

She stayed silent as Stephen carried her away in a different direction.

* * *

He carried her out of the building. Once Stephen stepped through the fence, she struggled again.

"You can let me go now."

He only kept walking.

She kicked her legs, her feet hitting his thighs, but he kept walking as though it didn't bother him.

"Seriously Stephen. It would be better if we walk together instead of them seeing you holding me against my will."

He slowed down and finally stopped. She let out a breath as he bent down, his grip loosening.

She straightened her shirt and turned to him, nodding.

He shook his head, grunting.

She frowned.

"What?"

He turned to look back at the compound, and then back to meet her gaze.

She frowned.

"Stephen…"

He shook his head again.

"Stephen," she repeated slowly, unsure what he was getting at.

He looked down as he raised his hands, untying the knots, unwrapping the bloodied pillowcases from his hands and holding them forward.

She slowly took it, shaking her head.

He let out another grunt and turned around, walking back.

"Stephen!" she yelled out, running towards him, blocking his way.

He shook his head as he reached forward, grabbing her arms tight as he lifted her and put her down to the side.

"Stephen please," she said, "You don't-"

"Do," he said brokenly.

She stopped, her eyes widening at the word.

She took a step forward but he shook his head, picking her up yet again as though she was a piece of paper, and setting her to the side.

He took a few more steps and she called out again. He turned and she walked forward, giving him the big gun she'd poached from the guards.

"Just in case," she said.

Stephen stared at her, as though back to his silent self, but then nodded.

"Thank."

She blinked again, surprised that her eyes felt wet, but then smiled.

"I should be thanking you, Stephen. I know it's not your real name, but still. I thank you."

He grunted again, gave her a short nod, and then walked away, back towards the compound.

She stood there watching as he ducked through the hole in the fence and then inside.

She looked around, breathing heavily.

Eggsy said the hole in the fence was to the east, but the Rendezvous was west…

"How long is a "klick" anyways?" she muttered to herself as she turned around and started walking.


	34. Chapter 34

The walk wasn't too bad; she was gearing for the worst, but two klick's weren't as much of a distance as she thought. Without shoes, it was tricky walking through the dryer parts of the surrounding grass and brush, but luckily her feet were unscarred.

When she saw what looked like a row of black vans in the distance, a group of people milling around, she let out a soft cry as she raised her hand and picked up her pace.

She saw Roxy, dressed in gear same as Eggsy, helping a person dressed the same as her – barefoot in white shirt and pants – into the back of one of the vans before she closed the door and slapped her hand on the car.

Two of the vans drove off as Roxy turned, spotting Ariel.

Her face lit up as she ran towards her. Ariel braced herself as Roxy rushed forward and hugged her tight.

"I knew you were okay. You are okay, right?" she asked, pulling back. Ariel shrugged, but then nodded.

"Jury's still out on that one for now."

Roxy nodded, and then her lips tilted down as she looked over Ariel's shoulder.

"He's… Eggy's still inside," Ariel said. "It's a story… but who were those people who just drove off?"

"Hostages, like you."

Ariel raised her eyebrows, truly surprised. Two vans full of other hostages? What kind of operation was Oliver running in that building?

"We have one left, he's been… a little hysterical, wanted him to calm down more, he might ride with you," Roxy said, motioning to a figure sitting a couple yards away, a blanket over their head as they rocked back and forth.

Ariel shook her head.

"I'm not going anywhere until Eggsy is back. There were a few others still inside, he went to get them."

"Ariel-"

" _No_ ," she snapped.

Roxy stared at her, but then nodded. Ariel nodded back.

"Well, let's see if I can calm this guy down," Ariel said, looking at the lone hostage, not sitting still.

"Have at it girl, we tried," Roxy said.

They slowly walked towards the blanketed figure. Ariel looked him over, but froze when they turned their head slightly and she saw a strand of greasy black hair peek from under the blanket.

She turned to Roxy, looking at her geared-up outfit, noticing one of three holsters on her waist. She reached forward and grabbed a gun as she took a step forward, aiming it at the 'hostage'.

"Ariel?!" Roxy cried out. She shook her head, her hand shaking as she aimed at the man who had froze.

"Nice try, _Oliver_ ," Ariel spat.

The figure froze, but then let out an audible sigh before the blanket fell, revealing her captor. He slowly stood up, the blanket falling off of his shoulders.

"Hello, dearie."

Her face twisted and she switched off the safety. Oliver's grin faltered and she relished in the feeling of being the one in control.

"Points for ingenuity. But did you honestly think you'd get away with it?"

He was dressed the same as her and the other hostages. She wondered why none of the others had recognized him… but maybe he was just a voice on an intercom to them. That could be the only explanation.

"Ariel, put the gun down," Roxy said from behind her.

She shook her head, bringing her other hand to grip the gun tightly and steady her aim. Oliver stared up at her, a mix of fear, surprise, and a little bit of smugness in his gaze.

"Not until you cuff him and get him out of my sight. It's _him_. This is Oliver, the man behind it all," she spat. "He held me captive, tortured me, killed men in front of me to force me to work for him," she took a step closer, the gun inches away from his face, which looked scared, "He killed my parents. Over a fucking _contract_."

"Ariel, put the gun down," Merlin said this time, on her other side. She turned to him.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull this trigger."

"That's not who you are, Ariel."

She blinked. She cleared her throat, and turned back to Oliver, who was currently being manhandled by two other agents, his arms thrust behind him as he was handcuffed and then pulled away.

Her hand dropped, and Roxy took her gun back.

She let out a shuddering breath.

"It's over, Ariel. It's over," Roxy said softly.

Ariel felt… she wasn't sure if it was a heavy weight being lifted or added on to her shoulders. It was over. She was out, Oliver was captive… but there were still questions that needed answers.

She let out a deep breath as she turned to Roxy.

"Have you heard from him?"

Roxy shook her head.

"Reported that you were on your way, then went silent."

"Incoming," an agent shouted, and they all turned, a small group coming towards them. Ariel searched their faces, and felt relief at seeing Leon and Klaus.

She rushed forward to Leon, giving him a small hug.

"What happened?"

"The… thing that they had guarding you? He was helping the Brit."

"Where's Eggsy?"

"That's his name?"

"What happened to Eggsy?!" her voice rose.

"He told us to run, was talking with others about setting charges."

"What?!" she cried out.

"It's the plan, Ariel," she felt a hand on her shoulder, Roxy coming up to stand next to her. "We get everything from their system, gather any hostages, and we destroy it all."

Ariel opened her mouth to ask why, but a large boom interrupted her, shaking the ground. A large plume of black smoke appeared in the sky – the building.

She stood there, shaking. She wanted to cry out, yell out, but she just stood there, her brain making her immobile. She didn't care as her legs gave out and she fell to the grass, ignoring Klaus' and Roxy's touches as she sat there, staring at the smoke.

He made it out. He wouldn't discharge the bombs while he was still inside. There was no reason to. He made it out.

She repeated the positive mantra inside her head, shaking off Roxy who kept trying to help her up.

"Incoming," an agent said again, and Ariel scrambled up to her feet, breathing heavily as she watched a small group come forward.

She searched their faces as they drew closer.

She spotted him and before her brain could determine, her feet were moving forward and she was running.

He smiled, running towards her as well.

She threw herself at him, jumping into his arms, making him stumble back, but he kept his footing. She breathed him in as his arms squeezed tighter around her. She was able to drink him in now, that the danger was gone.

"You found me," she whispered.

"Of course. Gotta tell ya, these past weeks have been complete hell, luv."

She pulled back to see his face and smiled.

"What?" he asked.

"I like that word when you say it."

He smiled, so bright, so unhinged, and she leant forward, kissing him softly.

"Luv you too," she whispered against his lips.

* * *

Eggsy was asleep, his head in her lap, her hand stroking through his hair.

"He barely slept," Roxy said, sitting across them in the jet. The other agents were either sleeping or winding down from their mission. Merlin was in the corner with Amelia, the both of them going over their clip-pads.

Ariel brushed a finger over his eyebrow, furrowed in his sleep, but it slowly relaxed as she ran over it again. She finally looked up at Roxy, an effort to look away from him.

"They sedated me whenever I gave them trouble. So… I slept a lot."

Roxy smirked.

"How… how did you find me?" Ariel asked.

"He and Amelia combed through photos of suspects, trying to find who raided the safe house-"

"What happened?"

"Hack."

Ariel raised her eyebrows at that. Roxy shook her head, her eyes moving to Eggsy's sleeping form.

"He was… a mess," she whispered.

Ariel froze, but then let out a deep breath, looking back down at his sleeping face, her finger tracing the cupid's bow dimple under his nose, around his lips, across his cheek and up to his jaw.

"I know the feeling," Ariel replied softly.

Roxy cleared her throat.

"We'll… we're going to need to de-brief you, interrogate-"

"Oliver is in custody, that's what matters. I'll give you anything and everything I can."

Roxy nodded at that, and fell silent. Ariel looked down, her fingers still tracing Eggy's face, combing his hair, just… enveloping the feeling of being with him again. Her heart felt at rest, with him in her arms.

Ariel smiled and looked up at Roxy, feeling a pause in the conversation. She only raised an eyebrow. Roxy tilted her head.

"What's gonna happen now?"

Ariel froze, and gave one shake of her head.

"You're the agent for a super secret organization, you tell me."

Roxy opened her mouth, but Eggsy let out a soft groan, and they both looked down at him. His eyes slowly opened, his drowsy state brightening as he looked up at Ariel.

"Hey," he whispered, his arm rising to bring a hand to her cheek. She closed her eyes as she leaned into his touch.

"Hey yourself," she replied, opening her eyes.

Eggsy moved so quickly that Ariel barely had time to blink before she felt her body lifted onto his lap, his face tucked into her shoulder as he breathed her in. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight.

Roxy muttered something about paperwork as she left, leaving them alone.


	35. Epilogue

She crossed and then uncrossed her legs, her foot twitching. She then sighed and crossed her legs again, her hands wringing in her lap. She had a distinct gut feeling as to why she was here, but still didn't fully believe it. She'd just have to wait and see.

She looked at him, and then around the shop; the different fabrics, the mannequins. The door to the fitting room which had the secret lock to the hidden equipment room, the hall that reached the Dining Room of the shop. The door that had the 'elevator' to the tube.

She was seeing much more than the first time she entered the shop, trying to reach Eggsy who was simply a tailor then. Things had definitely changed since that day.

He cleared his throat and she turned to look at him, hiding her triumph. She'd read that in negotiations it was best to not talk first.

They stared at each other.

She raised an eyebrow.

He did the same.

She smiled and then wiggled her eyebrows… And he only stared at her.

She sighed, giving in.

"Fine. There it is. I said the first words, Merlin."

Merlin gave a slight nod, his lips twitching.

"So, here we are."

She stared but then shook her head.

"Seriously? After all that shit, then sitting here for who knows how fuck long… that's what you have to say?"

Merlin stared at her, analyzing her, figuring her out as though she was a stranger.

"What?" she asked.

He stared, but then nodded.

"I must say, you've recovered… well, from your endeavor."

She blinked, but then shrugged.

It had been two weeks since her rescue – though she'd been adamant to label it as a 'recovery', hating the former word. She was in the midst of her own escape when the Kingsman came along, she made sure that was known to avoid the 'damsel in distress' syndrome.

However, the first few nights home, Eggsy, who had unofficially and wordlessly moved in, had to wake her up from nightmares. For as long as she lived she would never forget the morning home. He woke her up and dragged her to his apartment with a copy of The Sun in his hand, making her pin up the cover with the headline reading "It Must Be Magic" about a Harry Potter actor's surprising development (also known as puberty). 

He'd turned to her, looking at the various covers just as she was doing.

" _Magic brought you home,"_ he'd said softly, squeezing her hand tight.

Ariel blinked, bringing her thoughts back to the present.

"As well as anyone could, I suppose," she said softly, not meeting Merlin's gaze.

"I'm here to talk to you about your future. You'd fit in well with our-"

"Oh, hell no!" she interrupted, knowing he was trying to find her a job.

He stopped, and raised an eyebrow.

She took in a breath, but then shook her head.

"Listen… I… I can never thank you enough for what you did to help me. Not just what Eggsy did, but all of you… But there is no amount of money to convince me to work for this agency."

He sighed, and shook his head.

"You're wasting your potential, Ariel."

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

Merlin only stared.

"How… _dare_ you," she said, standing up quickly. "If you weren't Eggsy's boss I'd kick your fuckin' ass."

"Sit down," he barked. She blanched, but then drew her mouth into a tight line as she plopped onto the sofa, swinging her feet onto the coffee table, hearing a scoff from the man at the desk.

"Fine, Merlin, which potential am I wasting?"

"Firstly, I must advise that despite the sweater vest, I can more than hold my own."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Secondly," he continued, but she interrupted.

"I'm a scientist, just like my parents. I can hold my own, but I can't kick ass like the Kingsman do."

He tilted his head.

"I'm looking at a civilian who was able to avoid two separate kidnap attempts."

"I don't-"

"I'm looking at a woman who was held hostage, but managed to survive; fellow witnesses recall that you played a front, faking work, biding time."

She frowned.

"I wasn't biding for time; I just knew that-"

"Your explanation, which I can presume was that you were just faking work to stay alive, to find a way out, is one of the many reasons you should join us."

"I don't have field experience-"

"When we were hacked," Merlin started, taking a deep breath before continuing, "and the men came to the safe house… Eggsy wrote it all down in his report."

She stopped at that.

What, exactly, had Eggsy disclosed of their time at the cabin?

"Your own life was threatened, and instead of using that to your own gain, you used it to save the life of another."

She shook her head. She wanted to voice out loud that if it was anyone else – she didn't know what she would've done. But seeing Eggsy broken down, in danger… she would've done anything.

"Freelance," she said softly, crossing her arms as she looked at the faded leather on her boots. "I'm just a scientist, like my parents."

"That's exactly why you'd be a great addition. Your background, your survival instinct-"

"I don't agree to a project, job, mission, whatever the hell you call it – I'm not gonna be forced."

Merlin only nodded.

"Nothing on the field."

He nodded again.

"Strictly at headquarters… maybe on sight, if it's somewhere good. Never been to France. Or Italy. I've always…"

"That's not how that works, Ariel."

She smiled, expecting that reply.

She sat up straight, sighed, and then leant forward over the coffee table between their sofas, holding out a hand.

"Freelance it is. And expect that my invoices will be significantly more than the minimum wage."

Merlin tilted his head, but then shook her hand.

"Wouldn't expect anything less from you."

* * *

The cab dropped her off in front of her place. She thanked Mr. Brown as she exited and looked up at both stoops, both doors.

She grinned as she climbed the steps to her place, opening the door to JB's excited barks and Syndey's welcoming meows.

She bent forward and gave them both love before she dropped her keys and purse on the table and walked to the living room where Eggsy was waiting, pizza and beer on the coffee table.

"Oh my god, I love you," she said, rushing forward and opening the box before she grabbed a piece, not bothering with a plate as she took a bite, softly moaning at the cheesy goodness.

"Babe, you're gonna have to determine if ya love me or the pizza?" he asked.

She dropped the half-eaten slice into the box as she finished chewing, wiping her greasy hands on a napkin before she turned and leant into him, giving Eggsy a savoring kiss.

"Both, love, but you're a close first."

He chuckled as he leaned in for another kiss, which he meant to be quick but she leaned in, making it longer and sweeter.

He pulled back, letting out a breath.

"It's gonna get cold."

She nodded.

"True."

But that didn't stop them.

When her stomach rumbled later that day, however, Eggsy went to reheat the pizza in the oven as she curled her legs under her body on the sofa, knowing she wouldn't be able to look at it the same way ever again.

"So…" Eggsy started, leaning against the doorway, watching her speculatively. She blinked but then shook her head.

"Holy hell, you knew!?"

He only stared at her.

"Wait, you didn't _ask_ him to-"

"Rox was the one to bring it up," he said, walking forward, climbing onto the sofa with her, grasping her hands. She pulled but he held on tight.

"What? Is it so wrong of me to want to work with my girlfriend?"

She frowned at him. He frowned back.

They kept a static gaze and she broke first, her lips turning up into a smile as she leant forward for a savoring kiss.

"Dammit, Eggsy," she said as she pulled back.

"All I gotta say," he started and she leant forward, her nails digging into his skin…

"Is that this is gonna be interestin'."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this... all I want to say is thank you for doing so! I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


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